Salamanders are any of the approximately 655 extant and all the extinct species of amphibians within the order Caudata.
Read moreSalamanders are any of the approximately 655 extant and all the extinct species of amphibians within the order Caudata. The present day species are often grouped together under the term Urodela. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larva and adult. Salamanders are almost entirely restricted to the northern hemisphere and are found in the Holarctic ecozone with a few species present in the Neotropical zone.
Salamanders never have more than four toes on their front legs and five on their rear legs, but some species have fewer digits and others lack hind limbs. Their permeable skin usually makes them reliant on habitats in or near water or other cool, damp places. Some salamander species are fully aquatic throughout their life, some take to the water intermittently and others are entirely terrestrial as adults. Unique among vertebrates, they are capable of regenerating lost limbs, as well as other damaged parts of the body. Members of the Salamandridae family are mostly known as newts and lack the costal grooves along the sides of their bodies typical of other groups. The skin of some species contains the powerful poison tetrodotoxin and these salamanders tend to be slow-moving and have bright warning coloration to advertise their toxicity. Salamanders typically lay eggs in water and have aquatic larvae but there is great variation in the life cycle. In some species and in some harsh environments, salamanders reproduce while still in the larval state.
In literature and legend, the salamander is associated with fire, being supposedly unharmed by the flames, while clothes made from its skins or 'wool' were believed to be incombustible. More plausibly, salamanders were said to be intensely poisonous. Despite this, salamander brandy, a drink prepared by dunking live salamanders in fermenting fruit juices, is reputed to have hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac properties. The salamander's ability to regenerate lost body parts is being investigated and research is ongoing into any applications this may have for human medicine.
