Fire salamanders grow 6-10 inches long and weigh about 40 grams.

Both genders are black with either yellow stripes or spots with a varying amount of each color; sometimes there will also be red or orange hues.

Fire salamanders have two toxins to protect themselves, the more common being samandarin. When threatened, these salamanders can spray the toxin up to a foot away from the glands around their head. The toxin mainly attacks the spinal cord of the predator causing convulsions and hypertension.

The fire salamander is not a threat to humans as long as the venom isn’t ingested. Still, most people wear gloves when handling fire salamanders to avoid skin irritations.

Fire salamanders are naturally found throughout Europe. They seek out forests or hilly areas for the fallen leaves and clean water. Fire salamanders spend most of their time hiding under leaves or tree trunks, while the clean water is needed to develop their larvae.

Fire salamanders are carnivorous with a diet consisting of insects, slugs, earthworms, and occasionally small reptiles or frogs. Their eyes have the ability to distinguish basic colors as well as yellow and gray to help find prey. But since the fire salamanders hunt at night, their sense of smell is more beneficial. Once they locate their prey, they will use their fast, sticky tongue to capture them and pull the prey into their mouth.

The most common mating season for fire salamanders is late spring or early summer, but this can vary by location. When a male finds a suitable partner, he will block her path, deposit a packet of sperm under her, and push her down on top of it so the female draws it in. The eggs develop inside of her for 2-5 months until she lays them in water right as they begin to hatch. The 20-75 young will live in the water for about 4 months until their gills turn into lungs.

The fire salamander got its name not from their colors but because people claimed they saw the salamanders crawling out of logs in fire pits. This is an accurate story as fire salamanders will coat themselves in their venom to protect against flames.

Fire salamanders are the only fully terrestrial salamander in the Netherlands!