16 Types of Salamanders, Explained | Earth's Friends Home > Animals > Reptiles > 16 Types of Salamanders, Explained 16 Types of Salamanders, Explained 7 E-mail Total: 69 How do we keep this site running? This post may contain affiliate links — the cost is the same to you, but we get a referral fee. Compensation does not affect rankings. Thanks! What is a salamander? There are a whopping 500 species of amphibians that can be classified as salamanders. Salamanders are similar in shape and size to lizards – with a slender body and long tail. What differentiates them from the typical lizard? Salamanders won’t always have four limbs, and can often be seen slithering along without them. They are also commonly brightly colored, although underground species may simply be white or pink in color Let’s take a look at some of the more common species of salamander. Types of Salamanders Tiger Salamander The Tiger salamander (Ambystoma Tigrinum), can reach lengths of a foot and longer, and is frequently colored with a yellow variation of spots and stripes.

You’ll find the Tiger salamander in the continental U.S. as well as parts of Mexico, hiding in mountaneous and lowland areas. They tend to avoid the water, preferring the shelter of rocks and boulders. What does a Tiger salamander eat? Tiger salamanders will eat small insects, worms, snails, etc. – pretty much anything that crawls along the ground. What is a Tiger salamander’s reproductive behavior? This is one of the few times that a male Tiger salamander will approach the water – to attract a female. After a short 24 hours following the transfer of the salamander’s spermatophores, the female will lay over one thousand eggs, which can take up to two weeks to develop. Flatwoods Salamander The Flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum) is much smaller than the Tiger salamander, measuring in at a mere 1/3 of a foot on average. It lives primarily in the Southwestern U.S., in pine forests, and will lay eggs that develop in three to five weeks.

Northwestern Salamander The Northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) measures in somewhere between the Tiger and Flatwoods salamanders, at just over half a foot. You’ll find it in the Northwestern U.S., as well as parts of Canada, in particular British Columbia. Unlike the Tiger salamander, the Northwestern salamander prefers wet and damp areas. It’s eggs develop in two to four weeks, and reach maturity in 1 to 2 years. Jefferson Salamander The Jefferson salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) measures in at about the same length as the Northwestern salamander, at just over half a foot. It also lives in the Northwestern U.S and Canada, likes the water and lives in forests as well. It’s eggs take a bit longer to develop – four to six weeks, but typically reach maturity in just under half a year. Long-Toed Salamander The Long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) also lives in the Northwestern USA and Canada. It prefers deciduous, green areas. The long-toed salamander eggs develop in two to six months and reach maturity in six months to a year.

Cave Salamander The cave salamander (Eurycea lucifuga) is also known as the spotted tail salamander. This salamander measures between 10 to 20 cm in length and its skin is marked with irregularly spaced dashes and dots. The cave salamander has a prehensile tail and is native to Alabama, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Kansas. As its name implies, this species prefers to live anywhere from the mouth of a cave to deep in to the cave. These salamanders can also be found in various rocky outcrops and in forests. Little is known about the egg laying habits of the cave salamander. Red Hills Salamander The red hills salamander (Phaeognathus hubrichti) is the official state amphibian of the state of Alabama. This salamander is a terrestrial salamander and has been known to grow as long as 10 inches long. This is a gray brown salamander that has coloration almost like a worm. This salamander species is found in two specific geographic locations in southern Alabama.

The red hills salamander prefers to live on the slopes of ravines and in siltstone crevices. Males of this species are mature within a year whereas females take a year to become sexually mature. The Northern Zigzag Salamander The northern zigzag salamander (Plethodon dorsalis) is identifiable from the zigzagging stripe down its back which is either red or yellow in appearance. This salamander also has orange markings around the base of its front legs. The northern zigzag salamander grows to around 11 cm long and is found throughout the United States. This salamander prefers living in damp rocky forests and around cave entrances. Red-legged Salamander The red-legged salamander (Plethodon shermani) is a dark grey lizard that is identified by its bright red legs and light grey cheeks. This salamander species measures anywhere between 3 ¼ and 7 ¼ inches long. The red-legged salamander lives in moisture rich forests preferring to live in mossy logs. This salamander species is prevalent in the extreme southwestern corner of North Carolina.

Van Dyke’s Salamander Van Dyke’s salamander (Plethodon vandykei) grows up to 6.2 cm long and has a dark colored underbelly. The topside of this salamander varies in color depending upon the local climate of the habitat of the salamander but can be rose and salmon, yellow and orange or yellow striped with black sides. The Van Dyke’s salamander is most active at night and is most often found near water bodies living underneath logs, tree bark and rocks. This salamander species is most often found in Washington, Montana and Idaho. Weller’s Salamander Weller’s salamander (Plethodon welleri) has a black body with brass colored blotches over the body and a dark underbelly. This endangered salamander species is found in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina where it prefers the habitat of spruce forests. This is a nocturnally active salamander that lives under rocks and feeds on various nocturnally active invertebrates. The biggest threat to this endangered salamander is the destruction of its limited high altitude spruce forest habitat.

Wehrle’s Salamander Wehrle’s salamander (Plethodon wehrlei) is a large salamander that measures between 10 and 17 cm long. The base color of this species is blue-black and it has large white spots on its back while it has a solid grey tail base and underbelly. This is a nocturnal salamander species that lives on the Appalachian Plateau hillsides where it can be found hiding underneath rocks or by the entrances of caves. Wehrle’s salamander is known to have webbed hind feet. Green Salamander The green salamander or (Aneides aeneus) is the only salamander within its genus to live in the eastern United States. This species is considered to be near threatened as far as conservation status. The green salamander ranges between 8 to 12 cm in length and is light blue to yellow in color with green blotches on its skin that look like lichen. This species prefers to live in moist and shaded areas such as in rock crevices and are located from southwestern Pennsylvania down to northern Alabama and northeastern Mississippi.

Clouded Salamander The clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus) grows to around 5 inches in length and has a pale gray coloration with gold, red or olive green blotches. Younger species of the clouded salamander also features a brass colored streak on its back which disappears as the species ages. The clouded salamander has a prehensile tale and longer legs than many other salamander species. This salamander species can be found in the western United States from the Columbia River to the northern tip of California. This salamander lives under rocks and logs. Eggs of the clouded salamander hatch within two months and before hatching the eggs can be cared for by one or both parents. The clouded salamander is considered to be of near threatened conservation status. Wandering Salamander The wandering salamander (Aneides vagrans) looks similar in appearance to the clouded salamander and grows to a total length of 5 inches. This salamander species has a prehensile tail and can be found clambering in trees.

The wandering salamander varies in color from brown to grey and features bronze markings that can be marbled, mottled or speckled on the salamanders back. As with the clouded salamander, young wandering salamanders also have a bronze stripe down their backs. This salamander species is found in Oregon, northern California and on Vancouver Island. The wandering salamander can be found living on forested lands or forest edges but also thrives on recently cleared forest areas. This salamander species is considered to be of near threatened conservation status. Arboreal Salamander The arboreal salamander (Aneides lugubris) grows between 6.5 and 10 cm long and is purple to brown in color with yellow or gold spotting or no spotting at all. This arboreal salamander has a prehensile tail which makes it a particularly talented tree climber. This is a nocturnal species that is most often found living within oak tree cavities. Male arboreal salamanders have a large triangle shaped head and have front teeth that protrude beyond the bottom lip. Adult salamanders of this species have a particularly painful bite.

Salamander FAQ What Should I Feed my Salamander? According to our research, you can feed them one cricket a day. You can buy crickets by the dozen at your local pet store. They might also have additional advice based on your specific type of salamander. Depending on the type of salamander you have, they may also eat worms, meal worms, live crickets (before you feed them to your salamander keep them some where else to restore nutrients. You can feed the crickets dog food, weird I know), night crawlers, leaf worms, red worms, and black worms. Where Should I Keep my Salamander? We’re not Salamander experts, but our readers tell us you can keep them in a tank with some rocks and shells, a log for them to hide in, and some water on the bottom. If your salamander is a semi-salamander (hybrid), they’ll need both water and land. Finally, you should keep salamanders in separate cages.

Salamander - MTG Salvation Wiki Salamander Jump to: navigation , search Salamander is a red , black and blue creature type used for several different types of tailed short-nosed small animals with a soft scaleless skin. Contents Mythical Salamanders[ edit | edit source ] Mythical Salamanders are thought to be able to live in fire. This connection likely originates from the tendency of regular salamanders to dwell inside rotting logs. When placed into a fire, the salamander would attempt to escape from the log, lending to the belief that salamanders were created from flames. [1] The first red creature to reference this type of Salamander was Pyric Salamander in Mirage . While that one lives on Dominaria , others like Flowstone Salamander , Scalding Salamander and Cinder Crawler live on Rath . Each of these variants has some "fire-breathing" or direct damage ability. Regular Salamanders[ edit | edit source ] Regular salamanders or newts are amphibians like frogs . They are aquatic as a larva and semiterrestrial as an adult. They don't have scales like reptiles .

The blue Gudul Lurker and the black Festering Newt come closest to this type of salamander. Amphin[ edit | edit source ] The amphin are a race of lanky, shrewd, partially aquatic humanoids on Shandalar who can dwell either in the briny depths or in the overgrown shallows. Little is known about their civilization as yet; time will tell whether we see more of this salamander-folk in the future. [2] Much like Saprazzan Merfolk they are able to live on land. This type debuted with Amphin Cutthroat in Magic 2012 , and was revisited with Amphin Pathmage in Magic 2015 . “ The amphin have long built their society in secret. While surface dwellers squabbled over trivial borders, they patiently expanded, building their ammonite temple-caves. Now amphin priests eye the shore, and amphin hunters gird for war. ” — Gor Muldrak, Cryptohistories [3] Amphins were an attempt to come up with a race of creatures that could occupy the ”medium-sized nonflying blue creature” slot.

[4] Salamander Species of North America - Nature and Environment - MOTHER EARTH NEWS Salamander Species of North America North America is home to more than 150 salamander species which are important to the ecosystem. By Terry Krautwurst Print Email Dang, I muttered under my breath. I’d approached the promising pool with a determined angler’s stealth, stalking upstream in the rocky shallows, then wading into the higher waters that veered past my target — a smooth patch of liquid tucked deep and still beneath limbs overhanging the far bank. If ever there was a place for a smart mountain trout to wait for food, I thought as I cast my line, this is it. But now I was knee-deep at the pool’s edge, bending to retrieve the weighted fly that, instead of reaching its destination, had wrapped its line around a branch, drifted beneath the surface and wedged between rocks. Reaching into the clear water for the errant fly, I noticed a snakelike twitch of movement near my hand — which I quickly pulled away.

Peering closer, I could make out … no, not a snake, but a fat-bodied, paddle-tailed, wedge-headed something at least a foot and a half long, its eyes barely slits, its mottled, pebble-colored skin subtly rippling. What the ... ? In that instant I realized that my question had answered itself: I was looking at a hellbender, one of our continent’s largest salamander species. If you wouldn’t ordinarily picture a creature the size of your forearm when you think of a salamander, you’re not alone. Then again, you might not think of a squirming, eel-like organism either; or a blind cave dweller; or a bumpy, finger-size critter that can be deadly poisonous. North American Salamanders All of these unique life-forms, and many more, are North American salamanders. At least 150 salamander species live north of Mexico, more than in any other region on the planet. And while most of us have seen salamanders, few are aware of their extraordinary diversity.

They range in size from the diminutive 2-inch pygmy salamander, found in spruce-fir Appalachian forests, to the 2- to 4-foot-long two-toed amphiuma, a ditch-dwelling Southeastern species that resembles an eel. And if you think salamanders are mostly gray or brown, think again: among them are some of nature’s most colorful creatures. Most of us are similarly unaware of salamanders’ importance to the ecosystems around us. In many areas they’re a critical food source for a wide range of reptiles, fish, birds and mammals. In some mature forests, especially old growth areas, salamanders are so abundant they’re the predominant and most numerous vertebrate. Because many salamanders spend part of their lives as waterborne larvae and then move onto land, they serve as a vital nutrient transport system from wetlands to surrounding terrain, converting the aquatic organisms they consume as larvae into protein — their own body tissue — and then dispersing that energy as prey for land-dwelling creatures higher on the food chain.

At the same time, salamanders consume substantial quantities of worms, snails, insects and other forest-floor invertebrates, influencing those populations and resulting rates of organic-matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Salamanders are amphibians and belong to the order Urodela, also called Caudata by some authorities. Both words are references — the first Greek-based, the second Latin — to the presence of a tail, which is the common denominator among all salamander species in all their life stages. Although they’re sometimes called “spring lizards,” salamanders are not lizards at all — lizards are reptiles, which have dry, scaly skin and clawed toes. Salamanders have smooth, moist skin and clawless toes. Worldwide, there are roughly 350 salamander species divided into either eight, nine or 10 families, depending on which scientists are doing the sorting. The uncertainty is understandable, given salamanders’ broad physical spectrum, as well as their widely varying habitats, behaviors and life cycles. Some live entirely on land; some are wholly aquatic; some divide their lives between land and water.

Some salamanders hatch directly from eggs; others emerge first as larvae or another intermediate stage before metamorphosing into entirely different forms. Some never quite grow up and retain many larval features, such as external gills or slitted eyes. You get the idea. Getting a grip on an all-inclusive definition of “salamander” is as slippery as the little (or big) rascals themselves. Here’s a look at a few of the more notable groups in North America. Lungless Salamander Species Some salamanders breathe by rhythmically gulping and squeezing air into internal lungs, much as frogs and toads do. Lungless salamanders, though, breathe through a system of minute capillary vessels in their skin and the lining of their mouths. More than half of the world’s salamanders, and almost two-thirds of North America’s, belong to this family. The largest group of lungless salamander species, the woodland salamanders, defy amphibian stereotypes. Like all salamanders, their existence is tied to water. But woodland salamanders are entirely terrestrial, their bodies kept necessarily moist by the damp, shaded forest environments in which they live.

Unlike frogs, toads and other salamanders, they forgo a waterborne infancy as legless larvae. Instead, woodland salamanders are born on land as tiny versions of their grown-up selves. Take, for instance, the 2- to 3-inch red-backed salamander, a common woodland species. After mating, the female lays a cluster of up to 24 eggs, then curls her body around them to keep them moist and guard them from predators. Over the course of roughly two months, the young undergo the entire process of larval development inside the egg. After they emerge, the babies stay near their mother for several weeks, until they’re ready to venture out on their own. Red-backed salamanders are abundant throughout the Northeast, the Appalachians and much of the Midwest, and have a close western cousin in the Pacific Northwest. Other woodland types, such as the slimy salamander, also occur over a wide range. But many species are limited to extremely small areas, the products of eons of isolation and evolution within a particular location’s terrain, microclimate, geology and vegetation.

For example, the Jemez Mountains salamander lives only in north-central New Mexico’s Jemez Mountains at elevations between 7,185 and 9,186 feet. While woodland salamanders are landlubbers, other lungless species carry on more typically aquatic life cycles, in which the females deposit eggs in or near water and the young pass through a water-bound larval stage before metamorphosing into adults that stay in or around liquid habitat. Among them are most of the dusky salamanders, which reside in and along springs, seeps or streams, hiding beneath stones by day and hunting by night for aquatic insect larvae. If you live in the eastern half of the country and have gone rock-tipping along a brook, chances are at least some of the salamanders you found were members of the dusky clan. (You were, of course, careful to gently tip the rocks back just as you found them, right?) You might also have discovered a startling trait among some duskies: they can leap several times their body length to escape.

If you encountered a long, slim, yellow or yellow-striped creature that dashed rather than jumped away, you may have found one of the brook salamanders such as the northern two-lined salamander, common in the Northeast, or the long-tailed salamander, which ranges from southern New York to Louisiana and west to Kansas and Oklahoma. Mole Salamanders Most of the time, mole salamanders live in tunnels inside rotting logs or underground in burrows, foraging for worms and insect larvae. But once each year, impelled by a confluence of warm rain and an urge to reproduce, they emerge from their subterranean homes and lumber across the land in mass migrations toward breeding pools. Numbering some 14 species, mole salamanders are found only in North America. Among them are the strikingly patterned marbled, spotted and tiger salamanders. The latter, at up to 13 inches long, is our continent’s largest land-dwelling salamander and also the most widely distributed. Though absent in the Northeast and most of the Appalachians, tiger salamanders are found throughout the rest of the eastern two-thirds of the country and southern Canada, and in isolated populations in the western states.

Marbled salamanders migrate in autumn, but most other mole salamander species make their annual trek on one or more rainy nights in spring or early summer. They travel in large numbers, herdlike, clambering over obstacles, as if drawn by some invisible beacon. Their destinations are vernal pools, woodland depressions that fill with water only part of the year. The temporary pools offer a safe harbor for breeding, free of fish that would feed on eggs and larvae. Spotted salamanders emerge in February and March throughout much of the eastern half of the United States. Males and females gather in pools by the dozens. The next day, the pools hold fist-size clusters of fertilized eggs attached to plant stems. Over the coming weeks an ancient life cycle will repeat: the larvae will hatch, grow, lose their external gills, develop legs and lungs, and move onto land as adults. Because their migrations can take them across highways, mole salamanders sometimes need a helping hand. In some communities on rainy spring nights, volunteer “crossing guards” take up positions at highways along known migration paths, stopping cars when necessary and hand-carrying the salamanders to the other side. Other communities have built salamander tunnels beneath roads.

Newt Species The only obvious physical difference between newts and other salamanders is the newts’ rough, less-slimy skin. Most of the world’s 60 newt species — all members of the family Salamandridae — live in Europe and Asia. North America’s six newt species are equally split among Pacific newts and Eastern newts. Pacific newts range along the coast from Alaska to Southern California and are generally terrestrial. Eastern newts, which live throughout the eastern United States, are mostly aquatic — except for a midlife land stage among some. The eastern (or red-spotted) newt hatches as a gilled larva, but after several months gains legs and lungs, changes its drab color to bright red, and climbs onto terra firma, where it’s called a “red eft.” After two to seven years of living on land, the animal transforms again, turning olive green with red spots and developing a larger tail. It then returns to its natal waters for good, as an aquatic adult. Nearly all salamanders produce bad-tasting or irritating secretions to discourage predators, but newts can be especially toxic.

We know at least one species, the rough-skinned newt, can be fatal to humans: a person died after swallowing the creature on a dare. Hellbenders and Other Giant Salamanders “Surely one of the world’s ugliest” creatures, declared a naturalist upon viewing the mother of all hellbenders, a record 29 1/2-incher captured in the 1940s from North Carolina’s Little Pigeon River. The average hellbender’s size is less, about 11 to 20 inches — but this hardly diminishes the startled reactions of anglers who land a “trout,” only to discover a squirming, tail-whipping refugee from The Lost World. That the hellbender resembles an enormous flattened tadpole with a bad case of bathtub wrinkles is no accident. As it grows from infancy the hellbender only partially changes form, sprouting legs and losing its external gills but never quite outgrowing its youthful larval physique, and never leaving its watery environment. Smaller but even less transformed are the primeval-looking waterdogs and the mudpuppy, all of which keep their fanlike external gills.

So too do the eel-like sirens, which grow up to 30 inches long and crawl about in muddy ditches and other shallow-water habitat. Hellbenders live in fast-moving, highly oxygenated streams and rivers — the same habitat as trout — from New York and Pennsylvania south to northern Georgia and west to Missouri and Arkansas. Another group termed “giant” salamanders, the genus Dicamptodon, is made up of four species variously found in Northern California, northern Idaho and along the Pacific Northwest coast. They’re not particularly giant-size — the largest, the California giant salamander, is about 7 inches long. But they’re imposing enough: sturdy-legged with hefty tails, large heads and teeth that can inflict a nasty bite. Valuable Treasure: Salamander Diversity We’ve barely scratched the surface of our continent’s astonishing variety of salamanders. Because most are nocturnal, and nearly all are furtive and adept hiders, we live largely unaware and unappreciative of their presence, beauty, interesting habits and importance to our communities’ ecosystems.

Unfortunately, in many areas salamanders — and amphibians as a whole — are declining because of the effects of ill-considered human activities: siltation and pollution of waterways, loss of wetlands, and fragmentation of fields, forests and other vital habitats. The good news: In most regions, now is a great time to develop your own appreciation and understanding of these unique animals. From coast to coast, the season’s lengthening days and warming rains are awakening salamanders to begin their life cycles anew. Whether it’s a dark and stormy night, or simply a pleasant day in the woods — they’re out there for the finding and observing. Grab a field guide (and perhaps a raincoat) and see for yourself: Our wealth of salamanders is worth treasuring, worth protecting. Tips For Successful Salamandering In many areas, this is a great time of year to get out there and see salamanders firsthand. They are some of the most amazing, colorful and diverse creatures in North America. Look in the right places. Generally, salamanders are most abundant in and along streams and in damp woods. Consult a field guide before you go. Any time is a good time.

At night, use a dim flashlight or headlamp to look for salamanders when they’re active. During the day, search under stones and logs. Wet weather is best. Just after or during rain is prime time for observing. Search, but don’t destroy. Be careful not to harm their habitat. Tip rocks up slowly and return them gently to their original positions to avoid injuring any creatures underneath. Return logs and other debris with their moist side down, just as you found them. Be mindful of snakes. It’s not just salamanders that hide beneath rocks and logs. When searching under objects, tip them up with the underside facing away from you to avoid face-to-face encounters with snakes. Handle with care. Salamanders are fast and furtive — sometimes capturing one briefly is the only way to get a close look. Handle the animal gently, and wet your hands first to avoid drying its skin. Hold the salamander close to the ground, so it won’t be injured if it squirms free and falls. Be kind to your skin. Some salamanders secrete substances that can irritate sensitive human skin. When handling salamanders, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and rinse your hands afterwards. Spread the word.

Salamanders are beautiful, fascinating and important. Scientists consider salamanders critical components of many ecosystems, and warn us that their ongoing decline is an early indicator of the larger consequences of continuing environmental pollution and habitat destruction. Salamander | Uncyclopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia [ show ] What the hell? This is nonsense The word salamander actually has two root words, "sala" and "mander". "Sala" is a French word which means "mander", while "mander" is a French word which means "sala". Therefore, salamander literally translates as "mandersala". The opposite is also true. I think this article has been vandalised by some idiot, how do I tell Wikia? Unlike humans, salamanders can understand numbers and letters. Mature salamanders generally have a body form similar to that of dinosaurs , but with 50% less size. Some species of salamander have no limbs, making them essentially slugs with eyes. All species have powerful exo-skeletons to protect them from birds, larger lizards and friendly-fire, although many of these exo-skeletons are actually made of pie-crust , meaning they rarely work.

Salamanders are often brightly coloured, either in both sexes, or only in the males, or sometimes only in the females, or neither. This is even more apparent during the breeding season, and often out of it as well. However, the ones that live underground don't have any colour at all, and are thus invisible. The Sahara in all its beauty. Many salamanders are relatively small, but it has been suggested that they are simply far away. Sometimes one salamander will in fact be made up of hundreds of smaller salamanders, grouped together to give the impression of largeness. The opposite is also false. To keep moist on dry land, some salamanders will secrete mucus, a process known as "Hugh Jackman". This mucus is highly toxic, and almost always causes the salamander to die a painful death. When in the wild they will usually be reincarnated as tawny owls , whilst captive ones will simply cease to exist. When it comes to hunting, Salamanders will use their powerful ears to take down prey, although interestingly the only prey they hunt is non-ambulatory.

Their diet consists mainly of things beginning with the word "mini", including mini-eggs and mini-rolls , although some have been known to live entirely on vinegar. If in the struggle a salamander loses a limb, it is uniquely equipped to apply for a new one. No, the tone is too dry, too consistent. This has got to be real Native distribution of salamanders (in white). Salamanders are found on all continents except America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antartica. Some have even made it as far as not being found at the North Pole. Half of all salamanders live in the foothills of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland . The other half are nowhere to be found. For the first 25 years of their lives, young salamanders are kept in the hive where they are learn hunting, mating and Media Studies. After this they join the rest of the herd. If separated from the group, a salamander can always find its way back, but will probably choose not to. The species split off from the other amphibians in the mid-20th century due to "creative differences".

They have since gone their separate ways, but still occasionally dream about each other. Originally salamanders were similar to frogs , toads and froads, but as a result of the convergence of the tetrapod body plan, they now more closely resemble The Smashing Pumpkins . Salamanders also make great pets, and when not owned by humans will usually offer themselves as pets to other creatures, such as dogs and cats. Pet salamanders should be kept under ultra-violet lights at all times as it is the only way to see their true form. Otherwise they will look like ordinary household objects such as lamps, sofas and gatherings of small children. You should also remember to fit your house with a cat-flap should your pet need to fan itself. Wow, I didn't know any of this stuff. That paper on salamanders is in the bag! Salamanders can live 5-10 years, depending on their age. Numerous legends have developed around the salamander over the centuries. One such legend is that salamanders are actually humans . Another legend says that if a salamander looks you in the eye, your gender will immediately change.

There is also a belief amongst some salamanders that everything we see and hear is an illusion, and that only the smells are real. The Medieval Hawaiians believed that salamanders had two souls, one of which would go to the afterlife, while the other stayed behind to haunt its enemies. There is some evidence to suggest that these souls tasted of banana. An ancient text discovered circa 6,000 BC describes salamanders as both the creators and destroyers of the universe. The book, which is now mostly indecipherable, explains how they are heavenly creatures trapped in the physical realm. Most scholars agree that the book's meaning was distorted in the following millennia, and it was eventually retitled the Torah , which itself was later distorted to become both the Bible and the Qur'an . This means that salamanders are responsible for at least three of today's major religions. The text also served as the inspiration for Hary Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Ooh look, more helpful links Salamander | Define Salamander at Dictionary.com salamander noun 1.

any tailed amphibian of the order Caudata, having a soft, moist, scaleless skin, typically aquatic as a larva and semiterrestrial as an adult: several species are endangered. 2. a mythical being, especially a lizard or other reptile, thought to be able to live in fire. 3. any of various portable stoves or burners. 4. Metallurgy. a mass of iron that accumulates at the bottom of a blast furnace as a result of the escape of molten metal through the hearth. 5. a metal plate or disk with a handle, heated and held over pastry, casserole crusts, etc., to brown or glaze it. 6. an oven usually heated from the top and bottom by gas, for cooking, browning, and glazing food.

Origin of salamander 1300-50; Middle English salamandre < Latin salamandra < Greek salamándrā Related forms [sal-uh-man-drin] /ˌsæl əˈmæn drɪn/ (Show IPA), adjective salamandroid, adjective Examples from the Web for salamander Expand Historical Examples Serve them on stewed red cabbage, or mashed potatoes put in a form, and browned with a salamander. The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual William Kitchiner They may either be served up in this state, or in scallops, or put on the dish in a form, and the top browned with a salamander. Sons and Lovers David Herbert Lawrence Thus the salamander, an Amphibian of the newt family, brings forth its young in adult condition without gills. British Dictionary definitions for salamander Expand noun 1. any of various urodele amphibians, such as Salamandra salamandra (European fire salamander) of central and S Europe (family Salamandridae).

They are typically terrestrial, have an elongated body, and only return to water to breed 2. (mainly US & Canadian) any urodele amphibian 3. a mythical reptile supposed to live in fire 4. any person or thing able to exist in fire or great heat 6. (metallurgy) a residue of metal and slag deposited on the walls of a furnace 7. a portable stove used to dry out a building under construction Derived Forms C14: from Old French salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Greek Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for salamander Expand n.

mid-14c., "legendary lizard-like creature that can live in fire," from Old French salamandre "legendary fiery beast," also "cricket" (12c.), from Latin salamandra, from Greek salamandra, probably of eastern origin. The application in zoology to a tailed amphibian (known natively as an eft or newt ) is first recorded 1610s. Aristotle, and especially Pliny, are responsible for the fiction of an animal that thrives in and extinguishes fires. The eft lives in damp logs and secretes a milky substance when threatened, but there is no obvious natural explanation its connection with the myth. Also used 18c. for "a woman who lives chastely in the midst of temptations" (after Addison), and "a soldier who exposes himself to fire in battle." To rub someone a salamander was a 19c. form of German student drinking toast (einem einen salamander reiben). Related: Salamandrine; salamandroid.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper List All Amphibians :: Saint Louis Zoo List All Amphibians Amphibians On Our Web Site Amphibians On Our Web Site These are just some of the amphibians you'll find at the Saint Louis Zoo: Inside the Herpetarium Amphibians at Our Zoo Want to see some of the world's most poisonous frogs? Giant salamanders? Amphibians that look like enormous worms? You'll find these amphibians, and dozens more, at various locations at the Saint Louis Zoo. You can see many frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders in the Herpetarium and Emerson Children's Zoo . Frogwatch USA FrogWatch USA is a long-term frog and toad monitoring program that gets people involved in helping amphibians. As a volunteer-based monitoring program, FrogWatch gives citizens across the country an opportunity to be directly involved in gathering the information that can ultimately lead to practical and workable ways to help stop amphibian decline. Find out about the Saint Louis Zoo's chapter .

Features Spotted Salamander: Photos, Video, Facts, E-card, Map -- National Geographic Kids National Geographic Kids Spotted Salamanders Spotted Salamanders Salamanders look like lizards, but they’re not. They’re amphibians. They start out living in water, then move onto the land. Secretive and expert at hiding, spotted salamanders live in forests throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada. There are about 500 species of salamanders. Facts about Spotted Salamanders: Secretive and expert at hiding, spotted salamanders live in forests throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada. Though these bluish-black salamanders are large—about seven inches (18 centimeters) long—and distinctly marked with bright yellow or orange spots, they're still not easy to find. They're active only at night. During the day they stay quietly hidden under rocks, leaf debris, and logs. They also use other animals' burrows as their daytime hideouts. Spotted salamanders' favorite habitat is forests near rivers and streams. Salamanders are amphibians, like frogs and toads. Their lives are closely tied to water.

The rains of springtime signal the time for spotted salamanders to migrate to their breeding ponds for egg-laying. Adults return to the same pool for breeding year after year, for their whole lives. Salamanders choose ponds or temporary, seasonal pools for laying their eggs. The females lay their eggs in clusters of up to 200. They coat the cluster with a thick jellylike substance that holds all the eggs together, anchored to vegetation in the pool. It takes from 20 to 60 days for spotted salamander eggs to hatch. Like the tadpole stage of a frog, the salamander also starts out in a larval stage. It must be in water to survive until it develops into the adult salamander form, which takes from 60 to 90 days. Young salamanders eat the larvae of such insects as beetles and mosquitoes that share the water, as well as small animals they find around the edges of their pond. Spotted salamanders produce a nasty-tasting toxin in glands on their backs and tails. If a predator grabs them, the toxin quickly lets it know that the salamander is not a good meal.

When it's the salamander looking for a tasty meal, it goes after such prey as insects, worms, slugs, spiders, and millipedes. Spotted salamanders are not considered endangered, but threats to their populations do exist. Salamanders are very sensitive to pollution and other changes in their environment. They are also vulnerable to habitat loss, caused by such human activities as logging. Spotted salamanders have also been put at risk by people who collect them to sell as pets. FAST FACTS The scientific name of the spotted salamander is Ambystoma maculatum. In the wild, the spotted salamander can live up to 20 years. There are about 500 species of salamanders. On average, spotted salamanders grow to be seven inches (18 centimeters) long. Large individuals can reach nine inches (23 centimeters) long. When a spotted salamander first hatches from its egg, it doesn't look like the adult. It hatches in a larval stage. It breathes through gills on the outside of its body and remains in the water during this stage.

Spotted salamanders are a kind of mole salamander, a group of North American salamanders that includes the tiger salamander and the axolotl. The axolotl is an unusual salamander that lives its whole life in its larval form. In the winter, the spotted salamander hibernates. The spots on the spotted salamanders are very regular in both size and shape. One salamander can have as many as 50 spots, and they're arranged in two rows running down each side of its spine. Algae grow on the egg masses of the spotted salamander, turning the cluster of eggs green. The algae help supply the eggs with oxygen that is crucial to their development. Text by Catherine D. Hughes Photograph by George Grall

Question: What type of creature is a salamander?
Answer: Amphibian