Where Do Salamanders Live?
Salamanders prefer to live in moist areas shaded from the sun, such as under logs, rocks, or fallen leaves. They will choose areas where insects are plentiful.
They eat by extending sticky tongues like frogs or by disguising themselves in surrounding vegetation and then lunging at insects with their mouths. In either case, this could occur on or near a bush, tree, lake, pond, ditch, or anywhere else. Amphibians like to look for bugs.
Where Do Salamanders Live Geographically
Salamanders are any of about 350 species of amphibians of the order Caudata that are native to vast regions of the eastern and western hemispheres. Though most species can be found north of the equator, some have made it as far afield as the Amazon River in South America.
US Salamanders
The United States is where the most amount of salamanders can be found, as many as one-third of the total population. The Caudata order has nine families, and all but one of those can be found in America. This includes newts, which are any of the smaller families of salamanders, or “sirens,” which are aquatic salamanders with no hind legs. The order doesn’t include any of the families of lizards with which they are often grouped.
Resources
“Six Slippery Salamanders.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/volunteer/young_naturalists/salamanders/salamanders.pdf
“Salamanders and Newts .” Nature Haven . N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. http://www.naturehaven.com/Frog/salamander.html
“Spotted Salamanders, Spotted Salamander Pictures, Spotted Salamander Facts – National Geographic.” Animals – Animal Pictures – Wild Animal Facts – Nat Geo Wild – National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/spotted-salamander/
