Salamanders are soft-skinned animals that live in very damp places like forests, streams, and below-ground burrows. They move quietly and avoid dry, open areas. One of the most unusual things about salamanders is how they breathe.
Salamanders can breathe using gills, lungs, their skin, or the thin lining inside their mouths, depending on their age and species. Some use only one method, while others use more than one at the same time. Their bodies are built to work in different ways, depending on where they live and how they grow.
Why Salamanders Need Different Ways to Breathe
Salamanders live in many kinds of wet environments, from cold mountain streams to warm underground tunnels.
Some spend their whole lives in water. Others live mostly on land. A few move between both places during different stages of life.
Because of this variety, salamanders have several breathing tools:
- Gills for water
- Lungs for air
- Skin for moist areas
- Mouth lining for backup
Each method helps them survive in places that are damp, dark, or hard to breathe in.
How Young Salamanders Use Gills
Most salamanders start life as larvae that live entirely in the water. These young salamanders breathe with external gills, which look like soft, feathery branches sticking out from both sides of the neck.
The gills pull oxygen straight from the water.
The gills are full of tiny blood vessels and wave gently as water moves past them.
As the salamander grows, its gills may shrink or disappear, unless it belongs to a species that stays in water for life.
Salamanders That Keep Their Gills for Life
A few salamanders never grow out of their gills. They stay in water and keep their feathery gills into adulthood. These include:
- Axolotls
- Mudpuppies
- Sirens
- Olms
These species do not go through full metamorphosis, which means they do not change from a water-dwelling form into a land-dwelling adult.
Instead, they stay in water and use gills for breathing. This is called neoteny, which means staying in a youthful form.
How Many Adult Salamanders Use Lungs
Some salamanders develop lungs as they grow older. These lungs are not as complex as human lungs, but they allow the animal to breathe air once it leaves the water.
Lunged salamanders include:
- Tiger salamanders
- Spotted salamanders
- Slimy salamanders
- Mole salamanders
They breathe in through their mouths and noses, pushing air into their lungs using throat muscles.
Lungs work well in cool, damp environments, especially if the salamander spends part of its time on land.
Salamanders That Do Not Have Lungs
Surprisingly, many salamanders do not have lungs. They do not have gills either. Instead, they rely entirely on cutaneous respiration, which means breathing through the skin.
These lungless salamanders belong to a group called Plethodontids, the largest salamander family in the world. They include:
- Red-backed salamanders
- Woodland salamanders
- Cave salamanders
- Spring salamanders
They live in very damp places where their skin stays wet enough to absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide. If they dry out, they cannot breathe and will die.
How Salamanders Breathe Through Their Skin
All salamanders, even those with lungs or gills, can breathe through their skin to some degree. The skin must be moist for this to work.
Water carries oxygen into the skin and removes carbon dioxide from the body. This is one reason salamanders avoid dry places and stay close to wet soil, moss, or damp leaves.
Their skin is thin and full of small blood vessels, making it ideal for gas exchange. But this also means their skin is fragile and very sensitive to pollution or damage.
How Salamanders Breathe Using the Mouth Lining
Some salamanders also breathe using the lining inside their mouth and throat. This thin tissue can absorb oxygen the same way skin does.
It helps when they are resting or not moving much. It acts as a backup system, especially for species that lack lungs.
The mouth stays closed most of the time, but the salamander may pump air in and out slowly, keeping the tissue moist and active.
This system is small but important, especially in lungless species.
How a Salamander’s Environment Changes Its Breathing
Where a salamander lives affects how it breathes:
- In water: Gills are best
- On land: Lungs or skin are used
- Below ground: Skin and mouth lining help
- In caves: Lungless species often thrive
Moisture is key to all their breathing systems. If their skin dries out, it becomes harder to breathe, no matter the method.
That’s why salamanders are rarely found in hot, dry, or windy areas.
What Happens When Salamanders Can’t Breathe Properly?
Breathing problems are very serious for salamanders.
- If gills are damaged, they may drown or become too weak to eat.
- If the skin dries out, they may stop absorbing oxygen.
- Polluted water or low-oxygen streams can stop gills from working.
- Poor air or dry enclosures in captivity can harm lungless salamanders.
Good air and water are not just helpful, they are necessary for survival.
Do Salamanders Use One Method or Many at the Same Time?
Some salamanders rely on just one breathing method:
- Axolotls use gills
- Lungless salamanders use skin
- Tiger salamanders use lungs
Others use more than one system at the same time.
A salamander might use lungs during active times, skin while resting, and the mouth lining in low-oxygen settings.
This flexibility helps salamanders survive in changing environments, like drying ponds or cool forest floors.
How Salamanders’ Breathing Is Different From Other Amphibians
Frogs and toads also breathe through skin and lungs, but they do not keep external gills for long. Salamanders hold onto gills longer, or for life in some cases.
Many salamander species also lack lungs, more than other amphibians. Their wide variety of breathing systems makes them one of the most unique animal groups in the world.
No other animal switches between so many ways to take in oxygen.
Why Understanding Salamander Breathing Matters
Knowing how salamanders breathe helps protect them. It shows why:
- Wet forests and clean streams are important
- Pollution in water or air is harmful
- Overheating or drying out can be deadly
- Some species cannot survive in artificial settings
It also helps people who keep salamanders as pets understand how to care for them. For example, lungless salamanders should never be kept in dry tanks with strong lights or heating pads.
Their safety depends on moisture, airflow, and clean surroundings.
Conclusion
Salamanders use a mix of gills, lungs, skin, and mouth lining to breathe. Some species keep gills for life. Others grow lungs. Many have no lungs at all and rely on skin and mouth tissue.
Each breathing method fits their environment and way of life. Some live in water, others on land, and some deep below ground. Moisture is always the key. Without it, they cannot take in oxygen or survive.
By understanding how salamanders breathe, we also learn how to protect them, care for them, and keep their environments safe for years to come.
Hi, my name is Ezra Mushala, i have been interested animals all my life. I am the main author and editor here at snakeinformer.com.