Salamander

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A Fire Salamander.
A Fire Salamander.

Salamanders are amphibians. They are the order Caudata (also called Urodela).

Salamanders live in water and on land. Salamanders look like lizards, with four legs and a tail. They hatch from eggs in the water. When they are babies (called larva), they live like fish and have gills that stick out.

Most salamanders live on land when they are adults, after changing their shape. This change is called metamorphosis. They lose their gills and fins and start to breath air. They also drink water through their skin. Some salamanders stay in the water, but look like adults. These are called newts. These kind of salamanders have poison. Some salamanders look like babies their whole lives. This is called neoteny.

People used to think salamanders lived in fire, but this was a myth.

Look up Caudata in Wikispecies, a directory of species


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[edit] See also

  • Salamander AG


[edit] Vernacular Names