History and origin
The Fire salamander was first described by Linnaeus in 1758, the scientific name of this species is Salamandra salamandra. Salamandra is from Greek and means 'salamander', the common name for this kind of animal in Greek.

Characteristics
This species is characterised by their yellow blotches which vary in general disposition from subspecies to subspecies, and also vary within a same population.

Description
=Size=
- Eggs: This species doesn't lay eggs.
- Larva: The larva measure 24 to 35 mm long when they are born.
- Juveniles: The juveniles measure 46 to 65 mm long when they metamorphose.
- Adults: Adults measure up to 210 mm long max. (averaging between 110 to 180 mm long).
=Morphology=
- Eggs: This species doesn't lay eggs.
- Larva: They look like a newt with a small tail crest, a fish-like head and external gills.
- Adults: They are lizard like. They have a very bulky body, short fat tail, robust limbs. They have smooth skin which is ripely with smooth wart-like bumps mainly present on top of the flanks. They lack crests. They have a pair of large paratoid glands. Along the middle of their back they have in rows of two, a formation of small openings. Their limbs lack webbing. Their pupils are rounded.
=Patterns & colours=
- Eggs: This species doesn't lay eggs.
- Larva: They are marbled like being a various shade of green and black. At the earliest stages they have red external gills, they don't have much colour, only a set of dull dark shades of brown.
- Adult: They are easily identified thanks to their pitch black colour scattered with vivid yellow blotches along the back and flanks, these yellow patterns are arranged in a certain way according to subspecies and geographical area. This yellow colour maybe for some orange tanned. Their belly is dark in colour with a series of lighter spots, otherwise their black pattern can continue onto the underside. Their eyes are black.

Geographical range
They are found generally in central and southern Europe, they are found throughout France, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, the Czech republic, Greece, Albania... In Spain they are refined to the northern coast and the Pyrenees although they have many isolated populations scattered over central and southern Spain. In Italy they are found in the far south and along the western coast on the northern half of the coast, they are also found in the Italian Alps. Their eastern and northern limits are Belgium, central Romania, southern Poland and eastern Germany.

Subspecies
- alfredschmidti - Found in the Tendi, Marea and Infierno valleys (Spain).
- almanzoris - Found in the Sierra de Gredos mountains (Central Spain).
- bejarae - Found in central Spain.
- bernardezi - Found in northern Spain.
- beschkovi - Found in Bulgaria.
- crespoi - Found in the Sierra de Monchique mountains (Southern Portugal).
- fastuosa - Found in the western Pyrenees.
- galliaca - Found in Portugal.
- giglioli - Found in Italy.
- longirostris - Found south of the Guadalquivir river (Southern Spain).
- morenica - Found in the Sierra Morena mountains, north of the Guadalquivir river (Southern Spain).
- salamandra - Found over most of the range, from the Alps to Romania, including Germany.
- terrestris - Found in France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Sexual differences
Males have a much larger swollen cloacae, their front legs are longer. Males are usually more robust then females.

Seasonal variations
Females are very fat whilst they are pregnant.

Diet
They feed on worms, slugs, spiders, moths... Larva eat small water insects, if population density in the water is large, they may become cannibalistic.

Defensive habits
Their main defensive act is to secrete trough the small openings on their body a venomous liquid substance, strong, this venom can cause irritations if in contact with your eyes. This venom is strong enough to kill most animals that eat the specimen. This venom becomes weaker as the specimen grows older. Their bright yellow colouring is a warning of this. Otherwise, when threatened they will raise their body and dip their head downwards.

Reproduction
Mating happens on land in summer (June-July). Larva are born in spring of the following year. When they are born they may be encased in a thin jelly like casing from which they escape shortly after being born. The females move to the water to give birth and she may spend a few days giving birth. The number of larva born is about between 8 to 55 for ssp. terrestris and only between 6 to 36 for ssp. fastuosa. They metamorphose up to 7 months later, but sometimes in only 2.

Sexual maturity, life span
The average life span for Salamandra salamandra is about 20 years (a record of up to 50 years was recorded in captivity), they reach their sexual maturity in between 3 to 6 years.

Habits
They spend most of their days in their holes or burrows underground, these refuges can be abandoned holes of other animals (mice), hollow wood, roots, under large stones... These refuges are situated no further away from the water occupied by their larva then 100 m. The adults return to the same hide out after every nocturnal excursion. Ideal conditions to observe this species is a cool temperature (between 8 to 14 C) and humid or rainy conditions, no wind and little or no lunar glow. Females may be observed in the snow if their larva are ready to be born, the females will be very determined to get to the water and may be seen by day. The larva are harder to observe as they are active only at night and spend the day hidden under stones at the bottom of the water of amongst vegetation.

Habitat
Found under 2200 m in the south of it's range they are much more common on hillsides and in altitude then on coastal areas. Their ground habitat is usually made up of leaves or all sorts, in beech forests, ash and oak forests and pine forests on limestone areas. This species is missing from all habitats with loose soil (sand, loose earth...), as well as on the coast and near lightly acid water. They are rare in floodable areas surely because of their poor swimming skills. They are also missing from pure coniferous forests. Larva are found in waters rich of oxygen such as water falls, sources and fountains. The adults avoid all areas with fish such as ponds, stagnant water and such like to give birth.

Predators
Not much is known about their predators, animals that eat this species usually vomit or die. Birds and small mammals feed on larva and young specimens. Larva are also eaten by trout and dragon fly larva.