Salamanders

Of the amphibians that exist, the salamander is one of those that best adapts to life in captivity and can be a good option for a pet to have.

However, it is worth knowing before how is the salamander, where it comes from, what types of salamander there are and the needs for food, reproduction, etc. what do you need.

Characteristics of salamanders

The salamander is a small amphibian that It does not usually exceed 30 centimeters too much in length, being only some of the species that reach them and are larger, by very little, of those centimeters. It weighs about 19 grams, although there are species that can be as big as a crocodile and weigh 64 kilos.

It has hind and front legs made up of four fingers, while the hind legs have five. They're pretty short, but long enough for you to get around and run fast. In addition, they are also used for swimming. Along with these, it has a body that goes from the base of its head to its tail, with an elongated design and covered by a membrane that makes its skin look slimy and shiny. It doesn't have scales, but it does It has a cartilaginous pelvic girdle. This is what allows it to be very flexible.

As for the head, it is quite wide compared to the body, and flattened. It has a curved mouth with teeth and a long, sticky tongue that it uses to catch its prey and bring it closer to it to devour.

The difference that exists between a male salamander and a female lies, above all, in the physique. While the male has a more stylized and slender body, the female is usually bigger, thicker, robust and long.

Where do you live

Most salamander species live mainly in America, both in the north and in the south. However, due to their adaptability, they are also found in other habitats such as Africa, Europe, Asia or Russia.

Their natural habitat means that the humidity is high and, if possible, in areas where there is water and, at the same time, they can be protected from the cold or from other predators, such as areas with branches, trunks, etc. Its ideal place would be, therefore, a forest, a place close to the course of the river, an orchard, a pasture, etc.

They spend the day hidden and it is at night when they are most active, either hunting or going out to investigate.

types of salamanders

Currently, they are recognized, within the caudates, that is, of the salamanders, axolotls and newts, 9 different families, in addition to 3 already extinct. Each of the families includes several species, so you can find the following:

• Ambystomatidae, with 37 different species, mainly from Mexico and the United States.
• Amphiumidae, composed of 3 species, from the southeastern United States.
• Cryptobranchidae, with 4 species. They are the giant salamanders, located in Japan, China and the United States.
• Hynobiidae, with 66 species. Also called Asian salamanders that are found throughout Asia and part of Russia.
• Plethodontidae. It is the largest family of all salamander types, with 453 species. They are found mainly in America, from Alaska to Brazil and Bolivia, although there are endemic species from Korea or Italy.
• Proteidae, which includes 8 different species. They are known as proteids and reside in North America and Europe.
• Rhyacotritonidae, composed of 4 species. They are the Olympic salamanders, endemic to the Pacific Northwest.
• salamandridae, the second largest, with 116 species. They are found throughout Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America.
• Sirenidae, where four species meet, from the United States and northwestern Mexico.

what does a salamander eat

Depending on the environment where it lives, as well as the species it is, the diet of a salamander is different. In general, the salamander likes to be in the water, but many others live on land. This It feeds on other animals as it is carnivorous. using its sticky tongue to get within a suitable distance of the prey in order to catch it. For example, it eats worms, spiders, centipedes or slugs, small invertebrates, etc.

As for the the water salamander, eats small fish, leeches, eggs, tadpoles, frogs, etc. It is very fast swimming, as well as throwing its tongue in the water, so it is difficult for a prey to escape.

As a baby, the salamander first feeds on the shell of its own egg and the nutrients around it. However, when it is big enough, it begins to eat small aquatic animals, such as shrimp, as well as plankton, eggs, insect larvae, etc.

In captivity, the salamander is very easy to feed since it only needs living and moving food, such as crickets, silkworms, shrimp, small fish, mosquito larvae, worms, etc., which can be found in pet stores.

Reproduction

To carry out the reproduction of this species, the first thing that is needed is that the specimen has reached the age of sexual maturity, something that occurs at 3-4 years of age. Their preference for having offspring is usually in autumn, which is when they are in heat, and they choose the night to carry out the ritual.

At that moment, the male climbs on top of the female and then goes down to the bottom, brushing the male's snout with the female's throat.

After fertilization, the female will give birth between December and February, with a laying about 40-86 larvae, all of them in a protected membrane. The spawning is done in places where there is water and, unlike other amphibians, in these you can distinguish the head, body and its extremities.

The salamander when it is born is gray with some metallic or brown spots and its white belly. As it grows those colors change, but slowly and depending on the environment and the species it is. It lives in the water for up to 4 months, when the gills begin to disappear and it comes out on land, producing a metamorphosis that makes it more similar to lizards.

salamander curiosities

A salamander is one of the few animals capable of regenerating itself. When this amphibian loses a limb, or it is damaged, it is capable of growing a fully functional new one, something that other animals are unable to do. But not only those parts of his body, but even organs like his own heart.

There is also specimens that can become poisonous due to the secretions of its skin that react with other animals in order to protect it.

The salamander is also one of the animals that is most closely related to faith because there are references to it in the Bible itself. But apart from the biblical paradoxes, the truth is that It is an animal capable of adapting to any environment, either in the wild or as a pet.