The Salamander ( salamandra ) is an amphibious species that includes all members from the order Caudata. The name salamander ( salamandra ) is the common name and is derived from the Arab word meaning "lives in fire". The most abundant salamander ( salamandra ) family is the Plethodontidae, which contains roughly 200 species.
The majority of salamanders ( salamandra ) are around 12cm in length; and range from brightly to darkly coloured. They are characterized by having short bodies, long tails, four legs with clawless toes, and heads with proportionally large mouths and eyes. Their skin is smooth, moist and contains no external ear openings. Salamanders ( salamandra ) are deaf to airborne sounds and hear by sensing vibrations from the ground. They have good vision and a keen sense of smell and taste. Their skin consists of many glands which serve two primary functions. First the glands secrete mucous to keep the skin moist, and second they secrete toxic substances to ward off predators.
Internally, the salamander ( salamandra ) has a three chambered heart. The respiratory system is typically gills during the larval stages of the life cycle, and lungs in the adult stages. Oxygen uptake can occur through the skin and mouth membranes.
Salamanders ( salamandra ) are a component of a balanced ecosytem, and are essential to overall ecosystem health.
Salamandra image
