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Overview:
West Virginia has 34 species of salamanders that range in length from 4 inches
to 2 feet. Salamanders have an elongated body and a long tail, a body shape
that resembles lizards, and for this reason, they are occasionally referred to
as “spring lizards”. Salamanders, frogs and toads are amphibians, while
lizards, turtles and snakes are reptiles. As amphibians, salamanders lack the
reptilian characteristics of lizards such as body scales and claws on their
toes. Because of their delicate, scaleless bodies, salamanders are restricted
to aquatic to semiaquatic habitats such as rivers, creeks, springs, and moist,
forested hillsides.
Although the word amphibian means double life because many amphibians leave
terrestrial habitats and return to water to deposit eggs, many species of
salamanders are not obligated to this life style. Most species that live in
forests do not return to water to deposit eggs but lay them in moist terrestrial
habitats, such as, under rocks, logs, and in rock crevices. Unlike reptiles,
amphibians have a larval stage. Larvae of salamanders generally resemble adults
except they have obvious external gills in the neck region. Within time, larvae
lose the gills and develop into adults. For most species the larval stage
occurs in streams or ponds, but for species that nest in forests, the larval
stage occurs within the egg.
Amphibians have permeable skin, gelatinous eggs, and gilled larvae, which permit
the absorption of pollutants from water and soil into their bodies. They are
also ectotherms (“cold-blooded”) meaning ambient temperatures regulate their
body temperature. These physical characteristics make amphibians more sensitive
to changes in their surroundings than animals with protective features such as
scales, feathers, hair, and shells on eggs. Amphibians are nature’s “canary in
the coal mines” and are excellent bioindicators to alert people of potential
dangers in the environment.
Salamanders consume enormous numbers of insects in a variety of terrestrial and
aquatic habitats. They, in turn, are food items for many predators such as
fishes, birds, and mammals.
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