The fire salamander (or Salamandra salamandra) is an amphibian living in the deciduous forests throughout mainland Europe. Its skin is black with yellow spots, although there can be much variation in their patterning. Fire salamanders are between 15cm to 30cm long and weight approximately 30g to 50g. Males and females do not differ in size or appearance. While larvae are aquatic, adults cannot swim and spend their lives on solid ground.
Latin Name
Salamandra salamandra
Featured
true
Slug
fire-salamander
Site
Thumbnail
Image
Conservation Status
Animal Category
Region
Associated Product
Animal Facts
The bright colouration of the fire salamander indicates toxicity; they secrete a neurotoxin called ‘samandarin’ through the skin, which can cause muscle convulsions, difficulty breathing, high blood pressure and death.
According to legend, the fire salamander received its name because it was born in fires. Most likely they were hiding on wood that humans gathered to build fires, and then tried to escape the flames by crawling out of the embers.
In most subspecies of fire salamander offspring develops in eggs inside the female, to be born as live aquatic larvae. However, the ‘fastuosa’ and ‘bernadezi’ varieties can give birth to fully metamorphosed young, skipping the aquatic stage.
Fire salamanders are mostly found under damp decaying leaf matter on the ground.
Fire salamanders tend to stay in the same home range for many years, some even returning to the same spots for their winter hibernation.
Related Product