Alpine Salamander

Alpine salamander

The alpine salamander is a black salamander that can be found in the Alps, and through the mountainous range in Europe. It is a member of the genus Salamandra. The species name, atra, is derived from the Latin ater, meaning dull black. The colour of salamanders has evolved over time, as some species are completely monochrome black, and others have yellow spotting and marks. Their life expectancy is at least 10 years. There are four subspecies of the alpine salamander, with varied distribution and physical colour. Unlike other salamanders, whose larvae develop in water, the alpine salamander and its subspecies are fully terrestrial species in life and gestation. They give birth to live young.

Salamander

Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten extant salamander families are grouped together under the order Urodela, the sole surviving order from the group Caudata. Urodela is a scientific Latin term based on the Ancient Greek οὐρά δήλη, "conspicuous tail". Caudata is the Latin for "tailed ones", from cauda, "tail".

alpine salamander

Noun

1. Salamandra atra, a black salamander found in certain mountainous parts of Europe.