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Usually black or dark brown with spots, flecks or, stripes of red, yellow, or orange, the fire salamander’s coloration varies by subspecies. The bright markings, whatever pattern or color they may be, warn predators that the salamander is poisonous, its body secretions irritating the mouths and eyes of would-be diners. The secretions may even by fatal to smaller mammals. Fire salamanders cover a wide range, including western, central and eastern Europe, northwest Africa, and parts of southwest Asia. Though it lives on land, the fire salamander is rarely far from water and prefers moist areas.
A nocturnal animal, the fire salamander is also territorial, usually returning to the same refuge during the day. Typical shelters are old logs, rodent burrows, deep leaf litter, and cracks in rocks. At night, it hunts invertebrates like worms, insects, spiders, and mollusks. Annual cycles vary by subspecies and range. Southern populations tend to be inactive in the hottest months of the year, while northern populations are generally inactive during winter.
Time of mating activity also varies. Whenever it does occur, the male carries the female on his back, then deposits his sperm package on the ground and lowers her onto it. The eggs develop inside the female’s body over the course of about 10 months, then are deposited as live young, usually in moving water. At birth, larvae are around 1inch long. Metamorphosis occurs around 1.6 to 2.4 inches, and adults grow to 5 to 12 inches in length. A popular pet species because of its bright coloration, the fire salamander is perhaps the most recognizable European amphibian.
Nature picture credits (left to right): Photo © Roman Humpelstetter (yellow spots); Photo © Anita Huszti (closeup).
