Salamandra salamandra
We are very lucky in having a local colony of Salamanders. They spawn in a pond above the house and are often to be seen around the garden after rain in October/November. Its also known as the Fire Salamander
It is possible that the common name of this species, fire salamander, derives from old tales of these amphibians. The salamanders hide within holes and crevasses in damp wood and tree trunks. When humans cut down wood to use for heating, the salamanders often remained hidden within. When a fire was lit, the heat forced the animals to leave the wood and crawl to safety. Because of this they appeared as though they were “crawling from within the flames”.
They are generally only found between 400 – 1000 metres, so at 750 metres our garden is obviously perfect!
Our cats have learnt to give them a wide berth due to their toxic skin secretions.
750 metres 