Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra gigliolii)

Fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra gigliolii) live in forests in the hilly parts of southern and central Europe. They prefer deciduous forests, as they like to hide in the fallen leaves, but also at mossy tree trunks. They need clean small brooks in their habitat for the development of the larvae. Fire salamanders' diet consists of various insects, spiders, earthworms and slugs, but they also occasionally eat small vertebrates like newts and young frogs. Salamanders may actively defend themselves once they are grasped by a predator. Besides various antipredator postures, S. salamandra adults are able to extrude heavy toxic skin secretions, e.g. the neurotoxic alkaloid Samandarin. This alkaloid causes strong muscle convulsions and hypertension combined with hyperventilation in all vertebrates. The poison glands of the Fire Salamander are concentrated in certain areas of the body, especially around the head and the dorsal skin surface. The colored portions of the animal's skin usually coincide with these glands. Most of these secretions might be effective against bacterial and fungal infections of the epidermis, but some secretions could also be dangerous to human life.

In Europe there are 13 subspecies. In Italy there is the nominal ssp. (Salamandra s. salamandra) in the northern regions up to the Ligurian Alps, and Salamandra salamandra gigliolii in the rest of the peninsula. This differs from the nominal form mggior primarily for the extension of yellow spots.