29 September 2015

The Fire Salamander (Salamandra Salamandra)

A cool, humid day high up in the forest in the Austrian Salzkammergut - perfect weather for Salamanders!  They love temperatures around 15°C and high air humidity (90%)

Fire Salamander (Salamandra Salamandra) Austria 2015
Photo: M.Malcher

We were fortunate to see two Fire Salamanders during our hike, and their beautiful colouring certainly brightened up a grey misty day. The Fire Salamander is endangered in Germany and Austria, with habitat loss being cited as a main cause of their decline. They are on the IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species - "Least Concern" due to their wide geographical distribution.
Fire Salamander (Salamandra Salamandra) Austria 2015
Photo: M.Malcher
There is a research project with a very informative website about the Alpine Salamander (which is completely black) and the Fire Salamander which has many photos and videos about these lovely amphibians.

Alpensalamander
(link opens in new window)