Salamanders

Salamanders are a part of about 740 species of amphibians, having four legs and tails. The reptile constitutes the order of Caudata and comprises 10 families, including mudpuppies, lungless Salamander, red Salamander, and fire Salamander. They have long tails and superficially resemble lizards but with epidermal scales and claws. The size of these reptiles is about 30 mm to 2m.

They fall under the families of Hynobiidae and Cryptobranchidae, and presumably Sirenidae, carrying external fertilization. Rest salamanders have internal fertilization. Hynobiidae salamanders deposit paired egg sacs, later fertilized by the male. Clutch size in one species varies 24 to 109. Cryptobranchids deposit paired strings of eggs. These salamanders occur in freshwater and damp woodlands, along with temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

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Body Structure

As mentioned above, salamanders have short bodies and are skinned animals. Therefore, the longevity of their body differs but is usually 4-6 inches. Many of these reptile forms are camouflaged, while the rest are boldly patterned or have bright colours. Since there are different types like water salamander or salamander lizards carrying different sizes, the largest is the Chinese giant salamanders that grow up to 6.6 feet.

Usually, all salamanders go through the larval stage that stays for a few days to several years. These larval forms carry external gills and teeth. These features represent sexual maturity- the process called Heterophony.

Extant Salamanders Come in Two Clades - Cryptobranchidae and Diadectosalamandroidei. Both these clades occur in the form of fossils.

Reproductive System

Many of these species undergo metamorphosis- the starting life process in the form of aquatic and then turning into adults. However, there is some variation in some of the types. Like in Ambystoma mexicanum, which exhibits pedomorphosis, it includes aquatic larva, red eft, and a fully aquatic larva.

Some types of salamanders are kept in captivity, but fire salamanders native to Europe are easy to breed. These species mate on land, making depositing spermatophores for females to pick up, leading to internal fertilization. Entirely depending on the subspecies, fire salamanders are either ovoviviparous or viviparous.

Ovoviviparous species internally incubate eggs until the aquatic larvae aren’t born. Then, viviparous subspecies give birth to develop terrestrial juveniles fully.

Breeding usually happens in the water, but some like Plethodontidae families breed on land.

In most salamander species, breeding happens when the male places a sperm packet called spermatophores on the ground. Then, while the female inserts it into her cloacae to start fertilizing eggs, she may attach it to sticks and leaves or under rocks.

Salamander Habitat

Salamanders usually feed on worms, snails, and worms. In many cases, they also feed on their species. Similar to other amphibians, they also absorb water through the skin and require moist habitat.

Many adult salamanders usually hide during the day and feed themselves during the night period. However, many remain underground until the breeding season starts. Salamanders that belong to the family Plethodontidae are strictly terrestrial and avoid ponds and streams.

Behaviour

Unlike frogs or similar reptiles, salamanders are hardly vocal. Instead, these species of reptiles communicate using touch and chemicals. To avoid getting connected with predators, they spill out bad-tasting substances. Some advertise their poisonous nature with bright colours. For instance, orange salamanders are poisonous to eat.

Their Life Cycle

The life cycle of salamanders varies differently. They live and breed in different types of water bodies. Moreover, their life cycles encompass more than other habitats. For example, several Massachusetts salamander species migrate from wintering spots in upland areas to breed in vernal pools. This migration is known as "Big Night".

Types of Salamander

Salamander species come in different types and equally carry different sizes. These salamanders are found in different regions, especially in mountainous regions and watery areas. You may come across any of these types, but all in similar types. However, some carry different sizes and colours. More importantly, they are shy from humans, so don’t harm them. Some of these are mentioned below-

• Giant Salamander

Also called the Chinese giant Salamander, this species can grow around 6 feet and is almost everywhere globally and live for many years. The Japanese giant Salamander is relatively smaller than Chinese species, while North America’s most giant Salamander, the hellbender, is around 28 inches (70 centimetres) in length. All these three make up the Cryptobranchidae.  Although this creature lives underwater, it doesn't hold any gills.

The Chinese giant Salamander defines China’s freshwater river ecosystems. Unfortunately, the count of this creature is very low due to over-harvesting and water pollution.

Many people in China poached this creature from rivers for the source of stock farms. These creatures are camouflaged with the Rocky River bottoms. It carries mottled greyish or greenish and brown, with a long, thick body with four stubby limbs, and has tiny eyes. It has the most extended tail.

• Fire Salamander

These creatures can grow up to 6 to 12 inches and eat insects. The European fire salamanders carry dark fiery orange or yellow markings on their black skin. The name fire came when in ancient times; people wrongly believed that they were born in fires. What makes it unique is its protective nature. It can protect itself against predators by spraying poisonous liquid from glands located just behind its eyes — right into the animal's mouth.

These creatures are active during the night and spend most of their daytime staying cool and moist under rocks to avoid extreme heat or cold. However, these creatures are also under threat from a fungus called Bsal, making it difficult for the creature to absorb oxygen.

• Salamander Fish

Also called the Axolotl, this fish salamander can walk under the water. These creatures are found mainly in Mexican lakes. The International Union critically endangers them for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). They barely have teeth, and the primary feeding method is by suction. Their external gills are used for respiration purposes. Salamander fish can mutate and create into different colours.  Axolotl falls under the members of tiger salamanders and is carnivores feeding on insects and small fish.

• Tiger Salamander

Tiger Salamander has standard markings like vertically striped patterns of the mammalian namesake. These creatures carry brown colour with dark yellow stripes.

They have a thick body with short snouts, sturdy legs, and long tails. When it comes to size, they can grow to 14 inches, with an average length of 8 inches. Tiger Salamander species are primarily found in North America. However, they are also found in Southern Canada, Eastern Mexico, and the United States. These creatures live in deep caves, up to two feet below the surface, and are usually found near lakes or slow-moving streams. Their common foods are frogs, worms, insects, and other salamanders.

These creatures are pretty tricky to spot as they are very shy and secretive. They spend most of their time below the mud surface.  Tiger salamanders migrate during the late winter. After the reproduction process, the female lays up to a hundred eggs. Larvae remain in the pond until turning adults.

• Red Salamander

Red salamander creatures carry stout bodies ranging from purplish brown to cream red. They have a projectile tongue that extends and withdraws within 11 milliseconds. Glands produce a toxic secretion to deter predators. The size of red salamanders varies, but the usual size is around 4 to 7 inches, 10 to 18 centimetres.

They are usually found in parts of northern New York to the Gulf Coast in elevations. They are both aquatic and terrestrial and prefer cold and clear streams. When it comes to food, they can eat varieties of small invertebrates, including arachnids, tiny insects. They also feed on smaller salamanders.

When it comes to reproduction, female salamanders lay their eggs in the streams attached to the submerged rocks.

• Salamander Lizard

Many get confused between salamanders and lizards because of their similar bodily appearance. However, salamanders are amphibians; lizards carry dry, scaly skin, while salamanders have moist, porous skin. In addition, lizards breathe with lungs, just as humans do.

Another significant difference between lizards and salamanders is their reproduction method. Lizards carry partly calcified (shelled) eggs buried in sand or dirt, but few hatch species while still inside the mother before birth. Salamanders, like amphibians, mainly lay their eggs in the water stream under the rock for safety purposes. There are about 6 species of lizards and more than 500 species of amphibian salamanders.

• Texas Blind Salamander

This highly adaptive creature lives under the water. Since it has an amphibian nature, it lives in total darkness, it doesn't need vision, and its eyes are reduced to two black spots under its skin. These creatures lack pigment appearing in white colour. The size of this Texas blind salamander is around 5 inches and has elongated legs to support its weight. They have finned tails that make up a large portion of their body length.

Their diet includes aquatic invertebrates, including snails and shrimp. These species are sensitive to slight changes in water pressure, allowing them to find prey by sensing their movements. Therefore, they mainly depend on the constant clean water supply. However, their population is decreasing at a rapid rate due to overwater pollution.

• Indian Salamander

Also called Himalayan Salamander, these creatures occur between 1330-2220 meters in the Shiwalik, Chulachuli hills, and Mahabharat. They are also found in the Darjeeling subdivision of West Bengal (India).

The adult Indian Salamander lives in diverse habitats, like forest floors and the edge of woods. When the breeding season begins (April to September), they inhabit shallow permanent, shallow ditches and slow-moving. During the winter season, these creatures hide under logs, stones, and dry soil roots.

Male Indian Salamanders are 14-17 cm long, while females are 15-20 cm long.

Some Other Facts About Salamander

Different species of Salamander lay eggs, but not all. Out of all, the alpine and fire Salamander give birth to new ones. Also, depending on the type of species, salamanders can lay up to 450 eggs at one time. Spiny salamanders keep guarding their eggs by curling their bodies. Moreover, they keep turning them over from time to time.

Other Than This, Some More Facts are-

• Salamanders are the second largest amphibian group.

• They are ectothermic. They are unable to regulate their internal body temperature on their own.

• Some salamanders breathe through the skin

• Many species are cannibals and eat other salamanders.

• They carry a unique feature of regenerating lost limbs but are also sensitive to environmental changes.

Conclusion

To sum up, Salamanders are naturally timid and prefer to remain hidden from other living creatures. Insects, worms, and other salamanders are considered as their main sources of food. They have absorbent skin and it is believed that their bodies might be harmed by oily human hands.