Origin
The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) belongs to the Class Amphibia, order Urodela (Caudata), family Salamandridae, genus Salamandra.
Fire salamanders are native to Central and Southern Europe. There are many subspecies that can be found especially in countries such as Germany, Hungary and Poland.
Where does the name fire salamander come from: In the past, these animals were thought to have a connection with fire. Their skin secretes a kind of mucus that covers the surface of their body entirely, protecting them and giving them the opportunity to pass through the fire without getting burned.
Feeding the fire salamander
The diet is mainly represented by insects, spiders, bream and snails, but they also occasionally eat newts or frog chicks. Salamanders feed mainly in the evening, the species being nocturnal, but also after rain, when the ground is wet.
Features fire salamander
Salamander has strong limbs, protruding parotoid glands, cylindrical tail shorter than the body. They can reach sizes between 20-30 cm. Females are somewhat larger than males. These salamanders have warning coloration, they are usually black with yellow or orange spots of various shapes and sizes.
Salamanders have a shy, calm temper, but if they feel attacked they can remove a toxin through the skin. They prefer to run and can be quite fast despite their cumbersome appearance and slow movements. They will only remove the toxin if they have to. Avoid handling them and wash your hands thoroughly if you still touch them.
Fire salamanders live in Europe and are more common in hilly and mountainous areas, at altitudes between 100 and 1000 m, in the area of deciduous forests. They prefer deciduous forests because they like to hide under their fallen leaves, on the ground, there finding the necessary moisture for them.
Fire salamanders prefer shady, cool and humid places. during the day they stay hidden in fallen foliage, under wood or stones, wherever they find the right environment. They are active in the evening and at night, but on rainy days they are also active during the day.
Salamanders actively defend themselves against predators. The species is able to secrete toxins from glands under the skin called parotoid glands. Toxins are represented by neurotoxic alkaloids called samandarine.
These alkaloids cause high blood pressure, muscle contractions, seizures and hyperventilation in all vertebrates. The glands are concentrated in certain areas of the body, especially the head and yellow spots on the body.
Several subspecies of this salamander are recognized, most of which are oviparous except for two of them, S. S. fastuosa and S. S. bernadezi, which are ovoviviparous.
Salamandra salamandra alfredschmidti-Spain, Tendi Valley
Salamander salamandra almanzoris - former glaciers of Gredos (Laguna Grande de Gredos, Sierra de Gredos)
Salamandra salamandra bejarae-central mountain ranges of Spain (excluding the high peaks of the Sierra de Gredos and the Toledo range)
Salamander salamandra bernardezi-Asturias, northern and eastern Galicia
Salamandra Salamandra beschkovi-Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria
Salamander salamandra crespoi – Algarve
Salamandra Salamandra fastuosa-Cantabria, Basque region, northern Navarre, Central and western Pyrenees
Salamandra salamandra galliaca-Portugal, except the extreme south. Regions of Galicia, Leon, the Cantabrian Mountains and Catalonia
Salamandra salamandra giglioli-South-Central and southern Italy
Salamandra Salamandra hispanica-Montseny province of Barcelona
Salamander salamandra longirostris-provinces of Malaga and Cadiz (Sierra de Ronda)
Salamandra salamandra morenica-Sierra Morenica
Salamander salamandra salamandra-Balkan Peninsula, Carpathians, eastern Germany, Northern Italy, southeastern France
Salamander salamandra terrestris-much of France, northern and Central Europe
Salamander salamandra werneri-Mount Pelion, Greece.
Breeding fire salamander
Males and females look similar except in the mating season, then the difference is more obvious because in males there is a bulge in the cloacal area. mating takes place in spring-summer and ponta will be deposited in the spring of the next year in the water.
After the female is courted and accepts mating, the male deposits on the ground the spermatophore, a gelatinous capsule containing the sperm. This capsule is designed to protect them against dehydration.
After that, the female absorbs sperm from the male into the cloaca and the 20-30 eggs are fertilized internally. When they are ready to hatch, the female lays the larvae wrapped in a thin, transparent membrane in a place with clear water. Immediately after deposition the membrane decomposes in the water, the larvae can swim freely.
At the time of hatching the larvae are about two centimeters long and have external gills. After a few months of spawning, at a size of 5-6 cm, they lose their gills and metamorphose, becoming terrestrial, like their parents.
In some subspecies the larvae continue to develop in the female's abdomen until she gives birth to fully developed metamorphs. Fire salamanders reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years, with females usually maturing a year later than males.
Life expectancy is over 30 years.
