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| Photo by Jannis_V |
Salamanders are true amphibians. This is in contrast to what most people think that they are reptiles. Salamanders belong to the order Caudata and have similar characteristics with the lizards. They exist in an average of 500 species with a huge group located across Northern hemisphere. But, since they live in a secretive way, they are rarely seen in an open viewpoint.
The name "salamander" is rooted from the Ancient Greek word, Salamandra. The early people have considered salamanders as mythical creatures of fire because they would all of a sudden show up from flames. On the other hand, this primitive amphibian is also thought as one of the earliest living vertebrates on earth. As a matter of fact, they also show evidence of life's evolution on land.
Most of the salamanders are ranging from 10 to 20 centimeters. These cold-blooded animals have tails and four legs. Their front legs have four toes while their back legs have five toes each. Like other amphibians, they normally have smooth skin since they thrive on water and moist areas.
Their color varies extensively. Some species have bright colors and beautiful spots of orange, yellow and red. Some of these amphibians have gills and others have lungs. However, some species also have both lungs and gills while others do not have either one of them.
Mainly, there are three types of salamanders based on their habitat. They can be terrestrial, aquatic, and semi-aquatic salamanders. Some salamanders live most of their life in water while others prefer it on land. Also, some of them may be adjusted to fit both land and water. This is the reason why you need to take note of your salamander species and create the right habitat that will replicate their home in the wild.
Salamanders grow and develop in the process of metamorphosis. Their life starts as a larva and grows into an adult salamander after a few days or years depending on which species they belong. Mature salamanders need to lay their eggs in moist areas for them to survive.
Since salamanders are exotic and extraordinary animals, they need proper attention and care. Despite the fact that they can be found in different species, their population are massively deteriorating because of some reasons that scientists are not yet sure up to this time.
Hence if you want to have a salamander as your pet, see to it that you will participate in the campaign in protecting their species from extermination. As a novice, you can ask for advice from experienced raisers and owners. You can also do your thorough research for you to know the right way of taking care of your salamanders.
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