Alpine Salamander

Overview

Alpine Salamander (Salamandra atra) is a newt or salamander native to Alpine regions. A fully terrestrial black salamander of high alpine regions, gives birth to live young.

Care level: Advanced. Toxicity: Moderate.

History & Origin

The Salamandridae (Newts & Salamanders) is naturally distributed across Alpine regions, where it occupies the typical habitats of its family. It has been kept by specialist and hobbyist keepers both in the wild and in captivity.

Appearance & Size

Alpine Salamander is a 9–12 cm newt or salamander.

Temperament

Newts and salamanders are semi-aquatic, cycling between land and water through the year; they are alert, manageable and rewarding, though sensitive to water quality.

Care & Husbandry

A newt needs a semi-aquatic tank cycling between an aquatic phase and a cooler terrestrial phase; clean, dechlorinated water and a land area are essential. Feed live foods (bloodworms, daphnia, small insects) and keep temperatures 15–22 °C for most species.

This species is generally rated Advanced in difficulty for keepers.

Health & Lifespan

In captivity Alpine Salamander typically lives 10–20 years. Newts typically live 10–20 years or more. Skin toxins (e.g. tetrodotoxin in some species) demand hand-washing; maintain clean water and a proper land/water cycle to avoid disease.

Popularity & Recognition

Newts such as the fire salamander have been kept and depicted for centuries; the great crested newt is a well-known European protected species.