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'''Salamanders''' belong in the order ''Amphibia'' along with [[frog]]s and [[toad]]s. Salamanders comprise 350 species out of the 4000 or so known species of [[amphibian]]s, salamanders are found only in the [[America]]s and in the temperate zones of Northern [[Africa]], [[Asia]] and [[Europe]]. Some salamanders are fully [[aquatic]] and some are fully terrestrial animals, while some live on land from late [[summer]] through [[winter]], entering [[water]] to breed in the [[spring]].
Often mistaken for [[lizard]]s, salamanders (sometimes called "sallies") have soft, moist [[skin]] covering their long bodies and even longer [[tail]]s. They have no [[scale]]s, claws or internal [[ear]] openings. Their [[larva]] are sometimes confused with the frog [[tad pole]]s, but their [[head]]s do not get as large as the tad poles. They have [[feather]]y gill structures present just behind their head on the sides of the neck area, and their front legs develop first; frogs lack the external gill structures, and their hind legs erupt before their forelegs.
The majority of the salamanders and their larva are [[carnivorous]], taking in [[insect]]s, small [[invertebrate]]s; the large adults eat fish, frogs and other salamanders. Secretive, essentially voiceless animals, they are chiefly [[nocturnal]], hiding under fallen [[log]]s and damp [[leaf]] litter during the daylight [[hour]]s. The larvae begin feeding immediately after hatching, devouring tiny aquatic animals.
Sallies are not suitable for holding or petting. The [[oil]]s in human skin is toxic to them - they cannot tolerate the [[salt]]s or the heat of our hands. In addition, many salamanders secrete toxic fluid from their skin which can cause intense irritation to human mucous membranes.
==Diet==
Salamanders can be found searching for food under rotten logs and other debris. Pillbugs, [[beetle]]s, [[earthworm]]s, small [[millipede]]s, insects, and [[aphid]]s are suitable food for newly metamorphosed larvae, small [[moth]]s and other night-flying insects are suitable for a terrestrial and semi-aquatic sallies; aquatic sallies require small aquatic invertebrates which can be netted from ponds and streams. Small crustaceans such as Daphnia and water fleas can be found in waters with high algal content. Since salamanders are attracted to prey by its movement, they do not take readily to killed prey. Some may be induced to eat small strips of raw beef or dead prey. Some prey may be grown at home: [[fruit fly|fruit flies]], mealworms and beetles, earthworms, whiteworms and [[cricket]]s. The benefit to raising your own prey is that you do not have to worry about not having to go out and collect prey, and you can ensure that your prey eats healthy foods, thus making them healthier.
==Hibernation==
Salamanders from cooler climates bury themselves in soil or in the mud at the bottom of ponds, going deep enough to avoid [[frost]] and to maintain an even temperature. During this time their metabolism is greatly reduced, thus reducing the amount of energy burned in the effort of simply staying alive. Failure to hibernate will not only affect a sallies ability to breed, but it may shorten the animals' life as well.
[[Category:Animals]]
Often mistaken for [[lizard]]s, salamanders (sometimes called "sallies") have soft, moist [[skin]] covering their long bodies and even longer [[tail]]s. They have no [[scale]]s, claws or internal [[ear]] openings. Their [[larva]] are sometimes confused with the frog [[tad pole]]s, but their [[head]]s do not get as large as the tad poles. They have [[feather]]y gill structures present just behind their head on the sides of the neck area, and their front legs develop first; frogs lack the external gill structures, and their hind legs erupt before their forelegs.
The majority of the salamanders and their larva are [[carnivorous]], taking in [[insect]]s, small [[invertebrate]]s; the large adults eat fish, frogs and other salamanders. Secretive, essentially voiceless animals, they are chiefly [[nocturnal]], hiding under fallen [[log]]s and damp [[leaf]] litter during the daylight [[hour]]s. The larvae begin feeding immediately after hatching, devouring tiny aquatic animals.
Sallies are not suitable for holding or petting. The [[oil]]s in human skin is toxic to them - they cannot tolerate the [[salt]]s or the heat of our hands. In addition, many salamanders secrete toxic fluid from their skin which can cause intense irritation to human mucous membranes.
==Diet==
Salamanders can be found searching for food under rotten logs and other debris. Pillbugs, [[beetle]]s, [[earthworm]]s, small [[millipede]]s, insects, and [[aphid]]s are suitable food for newly metamorphosed larvae, small [[moth]]s and other night-flying insects are suitable for a terrestrial and semi-aquatic sallies; aquatic sallies require small aquatic invertebrates which can be netted from ponds and streams. Small crustaceans such as Daphnia and water fleas can be found in waters with high algal content. Since salamanders are attracted to prey by its movement, they do not take readily to killed prey. Some may be induced to eat small strips of raw beef or dead prey. Some prey may be grown at home: [[fruit fly|fruit flies]], mealworms and beetles, earthworms, whiteworms and [[cricket]]s. The benefit to raising your own prey is that you do not have to worry about not having to go out and collect prey, and you can ensure that your prey eats healthy foods, thus making them healthier.
==Hibernation==
Salamanders from cooler climates bury themselves in soil or in the mud at the bottom of ponds, going deep enough to avoid [[frost]] and to maintain an even temperature. During this time their metabolism is greatly reduced, thus reducing the amount of energy burned in the effort of simply staying alive. Failure to hibernate will not only affect a sallies ability to breed, but it may shorten the animals' life as well.
[[Category:Animals]]