Salamander

Salamanders Fossil range: Jurassic - Recent
Salamandra salamandra
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Amphibia Subclass: Lissamphibia Order: Caudata/Urodela
Families
Salamandridae (true salamanders, newts) Ambystomatidae (mole salamanders) Sirenidae - sirens Amphiumidae (amphiumas) Cryptobranchidae (hellbenders) Dicamptodontidae (Pacific giant salamanders) Hynobiidae Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) Proteidae (mudpuppies) Rhyacotritonidae (torrent salamanders)

Salamander is the common term for any member of the order Caudata (also called Urodela) of the class Amphibia. Although lizard-like in external appearance, salamanders can be distinguished readily from the reptiles by the amphibians lack of scales and claws. Salamanders can be differentiated from other amphibians (frogs and caecilians), among other characteristics, by the presence of a tail in all larvae, juveniles, and adults and by the fact that their forelimbs and hindlimbs typically are of about the same size (Sirenidae lack hindlimbs) and are set at right angles to the body (Bruce et al. 2000).

Salamanders typically have slender bodies, short legs, long tails, and moist, smooth skin, although rough-skinned species exist. The moist skin of the amphibians fits them to habitats either near water or under some protection on moist ground, usually in a forest.

Salamanders generally have a biphasic life cycle, typified by an aquatic larval stage with external gills and a terrestrial adult form that utilizes lungs or breathes through moist skin (Bruce et al. 2000). However, some species are aquatic throughout life, not undergoing metamorphosis to a terrestrial air-breathing adult, and some are terrestrial throughout life, hatching on land and lacking the larval aquatic stage. Furthermore, some aquatic forms lack gills and use lungs.

Overview

Salamanders are and found in most moist or aqueous habitats in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Although salamander habitat is generally restricted to mostly the northern hemisphere, and to where there are moist and cool habitats, lungless salamanders (family Plethodontidae) are found in tropical areas of Central and South America (Bruce et al. 2000). The greatest diversity is in North America, with representatives of 9 of the 10 living families (Bruce et al. 2000). Although common on the European mainland, salamanders are not a native species of either Great Britain or Ireland.

Most salamanders are small, but some reach up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. The hellbender and the mudpuppy in North America can reach the length of a foot (30 cm) or more. In Japan and China, the giant salamander is found, which reaches 5 feet (1.5 m) and weighs up to 30 kilograms. There are references to an Andrias davidianus (giant salamander) in China that reaches a total body length of 1.8 to 2.0m and a weight of 20~25kg, with a record weight of over 100kg claimed (GSPIW 2004), and Andrias japonicus in Japan that exceed 1.4 meters, and another one that lived for 51 years (GSPIW 2004b).

Salamanders are capable of regenerating lost limbs.

Distinguishing characteristics

In addition to approximately equal-sized limbs and the presence of a tail from the larval to adult stages, Bruce et al. (2000) note a number of other featurs that distinguish salamanders from other amphibians:

• Absence of a middle ear and otic arch
• presence of ribs
• presence on both jaws of true teeth
• external gills and gill slits in aquatic larvae, when this stage is present
• absence of the following bones: postorbital, postpariental, tabular, jugal, supratemporal, suraoccipital, basioccipital, and ectoterygoid

Classification

Salamanders comprise the taxonomic order Urodela (or Caudata). Extant (living) salamanders are placed in ten families within this order, divided into three suborders:

Cryptobranchoidea (Giant salamanders)
Family	Common Names	Example Species	Example Photo
Cryptobranchidae	Giant salamanders	Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)
Hynobiidae	Asiatic salamanders	Western Chinese Mountain Salamander (Batrachurperus pinchonii)	-
Salamandroidea (Advanced salamanders)
Ambystomatidae	Mole salamanders	Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
Amphiumidae	Amphiumas or Congo eels	Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means)
Dicamptodontidae	Pacific giant salamanders	Pacific Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)
Plethodontidae	Lungless salamanders	Red Back Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Proteidae	Mudpuppies or waterdogs	Olm (Proteus anguinus)
Rhyacotritonidae	Torrent salamanders	Southern Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton variegatus)
Salamandridae	Newts and true salamanders	Alpine Newt (Triturus alpestris)
Sirenoidea (Sirens)
Sirenidae	Sirens	Greater Siren (Siren lacertina)	100px

However, salamanders are known in the fossil record as far back as the Jurassic period. Bruce et al. (2004) note one additional suborder (Karauroidea) and four additional families (Karauridae, Batrachosauroididae, Prosirenidae, and Scapherpetontidae—the last three placed in Aalamandroidea) known only from fossils.

Mythology

A salamander as imagined by Paracelsus.

Truly mythical salamanders have six legs, and are highly valued by witches. 'Lizards leg' is the hind left leg of one of these mythical beasts. The mythical salamander resembles the real salamander somewhat in appearance, but has six legs and makes its home in fires, the hotter the better. (Similarly, the salamander in heraldry is shown in flames, but is otherwise depicted as a generic lizard.)

Early travelers to China were shown garments supposedly woven from salamander wool; the cloth was completely unharmed by fire. The garments had actually been woven from asbestos. Leonardo da Vinci wrote the following on the salamander: "This has no digestive organs, and gets no food but from the fire, in which it constantly renews its scaly skin. The salamander, which renews its scaly skin in the fire,—for virtue." Later Paracelsus suggested that the salamander was the elemental of fire. These "fire salamander" myths originate in Europe from the fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra, which hibernates in and under rotting logs. When wood was brought indoors and put on the fire, the creatures mysteriously appeared from the flames. Because of this, salamanders have often been associated with dragons because of their connection with fire.

Popular culture

Historical

• In military history, Adm. David Glasgow Farragut (famous for proclaiming "Damn the torpedoes") was nicknamed "Old Salamander" for his great naval exploits during the American Civil War. ^{[citation needed]}
• In history, King Francois I of France used a salamander as his personal emblem. ^{[citation needed]}

Literature

• In the Karel Čapek´s science fiction novel War with the Salamanders (or War with the Newts), the species Andrias scheuchzeri portrays the main role.
• In David Weber's "Honorverse" series of novels, the main character Honor Harrington is nicknamed "The Salamander".
• In C.S. Lewis's fantasy book The Silver Chair, salamanders are said to be very wise creatures that live in the flames of Bism, and speak to the Gnomes there.
• Salamanders are magical beasts mentioned in the Harry Potter series.
• In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the salamander, along with the mythical phoenix, is a symbol of the firemen.
• In the Discworld series of books by Terry Pratchett, salamanders are used by Iconographers to create flash for their pictures.
• In the Elemental Masters series by Mercedes Lackey, salamanders are portrayed as lesser fire elementals.
• In the Xanth novel A Spell for Chameleon, salamanders are lizards who breathe magical fire.

Video games

• Salamander (arcade game) is a 2D shoot 'em up series by Konami. It is generally considered a sister series to Gradius, and the games feature a variation on the Gradius power-up system, as well as both horizontal and vertically scrolling levels.
• In Secret of Mana, the elemental of fire, Salamando, takes its name, properties and appearance from the mythical salamander.
• In World Of Warcraft, lizard-like "salamander" creatures can be found in the raid zone Molten Core. They are generally referred to as Flamewakers, which is likely a nod to the aforementioned fire salamanders.
• In Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Salamander can be summoned by Nathan, providing him with fire-elemental magic.
• In the second and third installments of the games in the Megaman: Battle Network series, a powerful attack known as the Salamander, harnessed the power of fire and sent a great flame in the shape of the creature flying at the enemy if the player had a style aligned with fire.
• In Lost Magic, the Salamander is one of the four elementals, found in Blaze Lake; attacks using fireballs.
• In Battletech, the Salamander is a Clan anti-battlemech and anti-infantry battle armor that utilizes a flamethrower type weapon in conjunction with incendiary missiles.
• In RuneScape, "salamanders" are weapons that shoot fire.
• Throughout the entire Final Fantasy franchise, salamanders can be found as fire-breathing enemies.
• In Earthworm Jim 2, there is a stage where Jim transforms from an earthworm to a blind cave salamander.

Animation

• In the anime Legendz, Salamander is an anthropomorphic caudate who is relegated a role as a minor character.
• In the anime Fullmetal Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang, known as the Flame Alchemist has a salamander depicted on the transmutation circle on his gloves. While wearing the gloves, with a snap of his fingers, he can set anything ablaze.
• In the anime Digimon Frontier, Kanbara Takuya's human evolution Agnimon has three attacks, two of which are Salamander Break, and Burning Salamander. In addition, Takuya's theme song is 'Salamander', performed by Takeuchi Junko.
• In the Pokémon franchise, Magmar (and its evolutionary family of Magby and Booburn) are all salamanders, as well as Charmander.

Other

• In the commercial kitchen, Salamander is a brand name of high heat broiling ovens.
• In the tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000, one chapter of the Imperium's Space Marines are named the Salamanders.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Giant Salamander Protection International Website (GSPIW). 2004a. Outline of Global Giant Salamanders Resources. Giant Salamander Protection International Website. Retrieved March 30, 2007.

Giant Salamander Protection International Website (GSPIW). 2004b. 2004 b. Japanese Giant Salamander. Giant Salamander Protection International Website. Retrieved March 30, 2007.

• San Mauro, Diego and Miguel Vences, Marina Alcobendas, Rafael Zardoya and Axel Meyer (May 2005). Initial diversification of living amphibians predated the breakup of Pangaea. American Naturalist 165: 590-599.

External references

• Caudata Culture
• Salamander Video
• Caudatamedia

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