Smooth Newt nymph (Triturus vulgaris) in the larval stage with outer gills.
Several salamander species can live in water. Aquatic salamanders are equipped with gills and live solely in the water. Others are semi-aquatic, living on both the land and in water. Most salamander species begin their lives strictly underwater, hatching from underwater eggs to a larval stage with external gills resembling a tadpole that lives strictly underwater as it matures. Through this metamorphosis, some will move to land, while other species remain in the water.
