Slimy salamanders are mediumly sized amphibians found throughout much of the eastern united states. These salamanders are easy to identify by their black bodies with numerous, well-scattered white spots on the back and sides. But are slimy salamanders poisonous? Slimy salamanders are mildly poisonous. They release a poisonous slime from glands on their skin to … Read more
When the winter ends and the warmer spring temperatures come, salamanders and other amphibians will emerge from their overwintering spots, and head to the water to breed. But do salamanders lay eggs? Most salamander species lay eggs in the water and attach them to submerged vegetation near the water surface. However, some salamanders such as … Read more
Salamanders are amphibians, which means they live part of their lives in water, and part on land. But have you ever wondered how salamanders breathe in each of these unique environments? Salamanders breathe either through their gills, lungs, or skin and thin membranes in their mouth and throat. Most salamanders start their lives with gills … Read more
When the winter ends, and the warm and wet spring weather comes, salamanders emerge from hibernation and migrate to ponds to mate and lay their eggs. But what do salamander eggs look like? Salamander eggs look somewhat like frogs eggs. They are laid in masses and attached to submerged plants near the water surface. Unlike … Read more
Dogs are natural predators, so it is common for them to chase and catch smaller animals in their mouths. Sometimes, these “smaller animals” may include certain species of newts. But are newts poisonous to dogs? All newts produce toxic skin secretions that can be very irritating or even lethal when ingested by a dog. This … Read more
Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum), also called yellow-spotted salamanders, are secretive amphibians found throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada. These salamanders are occasionally sold as pets but are somewhat rare because they are protected in large portions of their natural range. Like many amphibians, Spotted salamanders produce poisonous skin secretions that make them taste … Read more
In the winter, we do not see many newts and salamanders. This is because they are ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals, meaning they can not regulate their internal body temperature. When the environmental temperatures rise or fall, so does their internal temperature. So where do newts go in the winter? All newts hibernate to protect themselves from … Read more
Salamanders are intriguing creatures that attract the curiosity of many people. They also tend to be very secretive, so they are not frequently encountered most times of the year. Because of this, there are many misconceptions about these beautiful animals. Most salamander species have tiny teeth in both their upper and lower jaws. However, arboreal … Read more
The Fire salamander is the largest, and possibly the best-known salamander species in Europe. These salamanders live throughout Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe with some subspecies being found as far as North Africa. They are characterized by their glossy black body with yellow patches or stripes. Fire salamanders have large parotid glands behind the eyes … Read more
