Salamander
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| Salamanders Fossil range: Jurassic - Recent | ||||||||||
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Salamandra salamandra | ||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
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| Suborders | ||||||||||
| Cryptobranchoidea |
Salamander (orig. from Persian: sām, Fire, and andarūn, Within) is the common name applied to approximately 500 species of amphibians with slender bodies, short legs, and long tails. The moist skin of the amphibians fits them to habitats either near water or under some protection on moist ground, usually in a swamp. Some species are aquatic throughout life, some take to the water intermittently, and some are entirely terrestrial as adults. Salamanders superficially resemble lizards, but are easily distinguished by their lack of scales. They are capable of regenerating lost limbs. The earliest known salamander date back 161 million years (prior to the extinction of the dinosaurs), and were very similar to modern members of the Cryptobranchoidea.
The name derives from an old belief that salamanders could walk through fire, which is false.
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[edit] Habitat
Species of salamanders are numerous and found in most moist or arid habitats in the northern hemisphere. Most are small but some reach up to 5 inches (12.7 cm) in length. They live in brooks and ponds and other moist locations such as under rocks. North America has the hellbender and the mudpuppy which can reach the length of a foot (30 cm) or more. In Japan and China the giant salamander is found, which reaches 6 feet and weighs up to 30 kilograms.[1][2]
Salamander habitat is generally restricted to mostly the northern hemisphere, with the exception of a few species living in the northernmost part of South America. Although common on the European mainland, salamanders are not a native species of either Great Britain or Ireland.
[edit] Classification
There are ten families belonging to the order Urodela, 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) |
[edit] Popular culture
- see also Newts in Popular culture
- Literature
- In Karel Čapek´s science fiction novel War with the Newts, also called War with the Salamanders, the species Andrias scheuchzeri takes the main role.
- Salamanders are occasionally mentioned in the Harry Potter book series.
- In Ray Bradbury's 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451, the salamander is used symbolically to represent the fireman's ability to burn literature yet 'regenerate' happiness to the people in the totalitarian society.
- In the novel "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", the Salamander is referenced as a metaphorical tie to law practitioners in the south during the 1940s and 50's.
- Harry Turtledove's novel The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump supplants many common objects and machines with magical contrivances. Salamanders are used in lieu of water heaters, and so-called "megasalamanders" are Turtledove's magical equivalent of nuclear weapons.
- Myth/Legend
- Salamanders are also known as minor demons according to lore.
- Gaming
- In Earthworm Jim 2, there is a stage where Jim transforms from an earthworm to a blind cave salamander.
- In Dungeon Keeper 2, salamanders are one of the earliest unit types available to the player.
- In the Kingdom of Loathing, players can cast a spell during combat which turns the enemy into either a salamander, newt, or frog.
- In Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, the Salamander is a DSS(Dual Set-up System) card, which enables the character to use fire magics.
- Animation
- In the anime Legendz, Salamander is an anthropomorphic caudate who is relegated a role as a minor character.
- In the Pokémon franchise, Wooper and its evolved form, Quagsire are salamanders; Mudkip and its evolutions fill the same role. Salamence is also a Salamander pokemon, hence the name; Charmander is a salamander-like Pokémon with characteristics of the mythical salamander.
- In Naruto, the character Kankuro has a defensive puppet called Sanshouo, which means Salamander in Japanese. The puppet also has a strong resemblance to its namesake.
- Cytomander, a character from the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann anime series, has his name formed from the combination of Salamander and the chemical component Cytosine.