Are Lizards and Salamanders Related? (The Clear Answer

If you’ve ever seen a salamander, you probably noticed how much it looks like a lizard. Small body, long tail, short legs, and that slinky way they move almost makes them seem like cousins. But are they really? Do lizards and salamanders actually come from the same family, or do they just look alike by chance?

No, Lizards and salamanders aren’t closely related, even though they look similar.  Lizards are reptiles, and salamanders are amphibians. They come from completely different family lines that split hundreds of millions of years ago. Most of their similarity is because they live in similar environments. Scientists call this “convergent evolution,” which just means unrelated animals can end up looking alike if the same traits help them survive.

That’s the short answer. The long answer is even more interesting, and it helps explain why these two animals look so much alike even though they aren’t closely related.

Lizards and Salamanders Come From Two Different Families

Let’s start with lizards.

Lizards are reptiles, part of a big group called squamata, which also includes snakes. Their ancestors showed up on Earth around 240 million years ago.

Like all reptiles, lizards have dry, scaly skin and lay eggs with leathery shells that can survive on land.

Now salamanders.

Salamanders belong to amphibians, which also includes frogs and caecilians. They appeared even earlier, about 300 million years ago.

Amphibians have moist skin that can absorb water, and they can even breathe a little through it.

They lay soft, jelly-like eggs in water, and their babies hatch as larvae without legs, like tadpoles.

Even though lizards and salamanders both crawl on land, they’re built completely differently and live very different lives. Lizards are land animals all the way, while salamanders depend on water to survive.

They Only Look Alike Because of Convergent Evolution

Here’s the interesting part.

Even though lizards and salamanders come from totally separate branches of the animal tree, they ended up looking similar because they face similar challenges.

Scientists call this convergent evolution. This is when unrelated species develop similar traits because those traits help them survive in the same kind of environment.

Think of it like two people who live far apart but end up making the same tool because they both needed it.

For example:

• Both lizards and salamanders live in places where they need to crawl into tight spots and under logs. A long body and short legs help with that.

• Both have tails they can drop and grow back, though for slightly different reasons.

• Both eat insects and other small animals, so having a quick tongue and fast reflexes helps.

Their similarities aren’t because they’re family, they’re just shaped by the same kind of life.

The Main Differences Between Lizards and Salamanders

Even though they look similar, a few clues can help you tell which one you’re seeing:

• Skin: Lizards have dry, scaly skin. Salamanders have moist, smooth skin that looks shiny or slimy.

• Eggs: Lizards lay leathery eggs on land. Salamanders lay jelly-like eggs in water.

• Environmental needs: Lizards like warm, dry spots. Salamanders need moisture and often live near ponds, streams, or under damp logs.

• Breathing: Lizards breathe with lungs. Salamanders can breathe through their skin and sometimes through gills.

• Body temperature: Lizards rely on the sun to warm up. Salamanders do too, but they usually stay in cooler, wetter spots.

If you see a small animal that looks like a lizard but it’s hiding under a damp log or near a pond, it’s probably a salamander.

What About Newts? Aren’t They Lizards Too?

Newts are a type of salamander, and people often mistake them for lizards because of their shape and size.

But like salamanders, newts are amphibians. They have moist skin, need water to lay eggs, and start life as larvae without legs before becoming adults.

Some newts can even live both in water and on land depending on the season.

People sometimes call them “water lizards,” but that’s misleading. True lizards  (like geckos, anoles, and skinks) don’t live in water and can’t breathe through their skin.

Lizards and Salamanders Have A Deep Evolutionary Split

If you go back far enough, lizards and salamanders do share a distant ancestor. But that was over 300 million years ago, before reptiles and amphibians became separate groups.

That ancestor was one of the early tetrapods, which were four-limbed animals that first crawled out of water and started living on land.

From there, evolution split into two main paths:

• One path led to amphibians, eventually salamanders, frogs, and caecilians.

• The other led to reptiles, including lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodiles, and even birds later on.

That means lizards are actually more closely related to crocodiles and birds than to salamanders.

Some Lizards Are Mistaken for Salamanders

It’s not always easy to tell the difference, especially with lizards that don’t look like typical dry reptiles.

Take skinks, for example. Some skinks have shiny, smooth-looking scales that make them look a lot like salamanders, especially when wet.

They even move with a wiggly, slithering motion. But if you look closer, they still have scales and dry skin.

They live in drier spots and never lay their eggs in water.

Another example is the legless lizard. If you saw one for the first time, you might think it’s a snake or a weird salamander.

But it’s a true reptile, it just lost its legs through evolution.

Do Lizards and Salamanders Ever Live Together?

Yes, they do. In some forests, deserts, and wetlands, you can find both living not far from each other; they just stay in slightly different spots.

For example, a salamander might spend its day hiding under a damp log to stay moist. A lizard might sunbathe on a rock a few feet away to warm up.

They eat some of the same insects, but they usually don’t compete. Lizards hunt in dry spots during the day, while salamanders are more active at night or in wet conditions.

What About Their Behavior?

Another way to tell them apart is by how they act.

Lizards are more active in sunlight and often seen basking on rocks or walls to warm up. They’re quick, alert, and sometimes territorial.

Salamanders like dark, cool, and damp spots. Many hide all day and come out at night. They move slower and are much less likely to be out in the open. That difference alone can tell you a lot.

Can Lizards and Salamanders Live Together in Captivity?

People sometimes ask if they can keep a salamander and a lizard in the same tank. It seems reasonable at first. They look similar and eat similar foods.

But that’s actually a bad idea.

Lizards need dry, warm setups with heat lamps and low humidity. Salamanders need cool, moist setups with plenty of water.

If you put them together, one of them would be miserable and probably wouldn’t survive long. Even though they look alike, their needs are totally different.

Why People Confuse Them So Often

It’s easy to see why people mix them up.

Both are small, have tails, eat insects, and move in that slinky crawling way. Cartoons and pop culture don’t help either; they often call any small, long-tailed creature a “lizard.”

But if you remember: lizards have dry, scaly skin and salamanders have wet, smooth skin, you won’t confuse them again.

Fun Examples in the Wild

Here are a few real-world examples showing how similar they can look, and how different they really are:

• The Eastern Red-backed Salamander (found in North America) has a reddish stripe down its back, like some skinks. But it always lives in damp forests under logs and leaves.

• The Five-lined Skink has a similar stripe and size, but it spends its days basking in the sun on rocks and logs.

• Tiger Salamanders can grow up to 13 inches long. They still have smooth, slippery skin and spend part of their life in water.

• Bearded Dragons are true lizards with scaly skin, spikes, and a love for basking in warm, dry spots. This is the total opposite of a salamander.

Conclusion

Even though lizards and salamanders look almost like twins, they come from completely different worlds.

Lizards are scaly reptiles that live dry, sun-loving lives. Salamanders are smooth-skinned amphibians that thrive in cool, wet spots.

Their shared look is just nature solving the same problem in two different ways, not a sign they’re family.

Next time you see a small, long-tailed creature dart across your path, look closer. If it’s dry and scaly, it’s a lizard. If it’s smooth and damp, it’s a salamander.

Same shape, totally different story.