Salamanders are small, soft-bodied animals that usually live near water or in damp forests. With their long tails, slim bodies, and quiet ways, people often mistake them for lizards. But looks can be deceiving. Salamanders are not reptiles, they are amphibians. So what makes them amphibians?
Salamanders are amphibians because their life cycle includes both water and land stages, they rely on moist environments, and they can breathe through their skin as well as lungs or gills. These traits are what set amphibians apart from other animals with backbones.
At first glance, salamanders and reptiles may look alike. But when you look closer, their bodies and biology are very different.
Salamanders Begin Life in the Water
Like most amphibians, salamanders start their lives in water. They hatch from eggs laid in ponds or streams, and the young (called larvae ) breathe through gills and swim like fish.
At this stage, they don’t look much like adults. Their bodies are more fish-like, and they depend fully on water to survive.
As they grow, most species go through a big change called metamorphosis. This is when they lose their gills, grow lungs, and develop legs for walking on land.
This two-stage life cycle is one of the clearest signs of an amphibian:
- Aquatic larval stage: Eggs hatch in water; larvae have gills and tails for swimming.
- Terrestrial adult stage: Adults develop lungs or breathe through skin and live on land.
Some salamanders, especially ones that live in water all the time, skip metamorphosis and keep their gills into adulthood.
Even then, they’re still amphibians because of their skin and body design.
Salamanders Depend on Moist Skin
One of the most important traits of amphibians is their skin. It’s thin and absorbent, which means salamanders take in water and oxygen right through it.
In fact, many salamanders breathe completely through their skin and the lining of their mouth, without lungs at all.
Because of this, they must live in damp, shady places. Dry conditions can quickly turn deadly. If their skin dries out, they can’t get enough oxygen and may suffocate.
That’s why you’ll often find salamanders under rocks, logs, or near streams.
This constant need for moisture is one of the biggest reasons salamanders are amphibians.
Salamanders Do Not Have Scales Like Reptiles
Reptiles such as snakes and lizards have dry, scaly skin that locks in water. Salamanders, on the other hand, have smooth skin that lets them absorb water instead.
Their skin also produces mucus, which helps keep it moist and protects them from germs. Some salamanders even release toxins from their skin to warn off predators.
The lack of scales and the special jobs their skin performs clearly tie salamanders to the amphibian group.
Salamanders Breathe in Different Ways
How salamanders breathe depends on the species and where they live. They may use:
- Gills: Common in larvae and aquatic adults.
- Lungs: Found in many land-dwelling adults.
- Skin and mouth lining: Called cutaneous and buccopharyngeal breathing.
Some families, like the lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae), never develop lungs at all. They survive entirely by skin breathing for their whole lives.
This wide range of breathing methods is common among amphibians, and another reason salamanders belong in this group.
Salamanders Have a Unique Skeleton
Amphibians have skeletons built for both swimming and walking on land, and salamanders show this clearly.
Their legs stick out from the sides of their body, not underneath like reptiles or mammals. This gives them a slow, crawling walk, similar to how the earliest land animals moved.
They also have long tails and flexible spines that help them swim, squirm under leaves, or slip between rocks.
Their skull shape, limb layout, and backbone design are all in line with other amphibians.
Salamanders Lay Eggs in Moist Places
Most amphibians lay their eggs in water, and salamanders are no different. Their eggs are soft and jelly-like, without the hard shells that reptiles and birds have.
Because the eggs lack shells, they must stay wet to survive. Salamanders usually lay them in ponds, streams, or damp moss and soil.
The eggs hatch into larvae, continuing the cycle. Some salamander parents even guard their eggs or curl around them to keep them moist.
A few species give live birth, but the babies are still born into water or wet conditions. This dependence on moisture during reproduction is another clear amphibian trait.
Amphibians Came Before Reptiles
Looking back in time, amphibians were the first animals with backbones to step from water onto land.
They still carry traits from that ancient shift. Salamanders can breathe through their skin and must lay eggs in water.
Reptiles evolved later, gaining dry scales, waterproof skin, and hard-shelled eggs so they could live in drier places. Salamanders, frogs, and toads, however, kept their amphibian features.
What Makes an Amphibian
Amphibians are defined by a set of shared traits. Salamanders fit this profile almost perfectly:
- Aquatic larvae that go through metamorphosis
- Moist, permeable skin
- Ability to breathe through skin or lungs
- Eggs laid in water or damp spots
- Soft, shell-less eggs
- No scales
- Cold-blooded (ectothermic) body temperature
Even though some species break a rule here or there, salamanders as a group clearly belong with the amphibians.
Amphibians Are Sensitive Creatures
Because of their thin skin and need for fresh water, amphibians like salamanders are often the first to suffer when pollution or climate change affects an area.
Their skin makes them vulnerable to toxins, UV rays, and disease.
Many salamander populations are shrinking today due to habitat loss, water pollution, and infections like chytrid fungus.
This sensitivity makes them fragile, but it also makes them important to science. Salamanders act as bioindicators, meaning their health reveals the health of the ecosystem around them.
Why People Confuse Salamanders With Reptiles
It’s easy to see why people mistake salamanders for lizards:
- Both have long tails and four legs
- Both crawl on the ground or climb
- Both live in forests or near water
- Both appear in similar places
But the real differences are inside. Salamanders don’t have scales, they lay soft eggs, they breathe through their skin, and they live a “double life” between water and land. These are not reptile traits at all.
Conclusion
Salamanders are amphibians because they share the key traits of the group: moist skin, aquatic larvae, metamorphosis, and skin-based breathing.
Even though they may look like lizards, their biology is closer to frogs than to reptiles.
Their lives (from breathing through skin, to starting out in water, to needing damp places) all point to their amphibian identity.
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.