Are Salamanders Poisonous? Know The Truth About This Amphibian!

Salamanders are often confused with lizards due to their similar appearance and movements.

However, salamanders are actually amphibians, animals that are aquatic as well as terrestrial, like frogs and toads. They have moist skin, which helps them breathe as they do not possess lungs.

Salamanders can be found in a number of different habitats, ranging from near water bodies such as streams or rivers to the forest floor. Adult salamanders can often be found on tree trunks or hiding under a rock.

To keep themselves safe in such busy ecosystems, salamanders tend to secrete poison through their skin, which helps them to deter larger creatures that may see them as prey.

The level of toxicity of their skin varies on the type of salamander species. Many popular salamander pet species are on the less toxic side, like the tiger salamander, fire belly newt, and marbled salamander.

More toxic species such as the rough-skinned newt, Black salamander, and Sierra newt are among the more poisonous species and should be avoided. If encountered in their natural habitat, it is best to refrain from handling a salamander, if the species is unknown.

Many people may attempt to handle salamanders due to mistaking them as lizards, as they possess the same slender bodies and long tail as them.

One way to tell them apart is by looking at their bodies. Lizards will mostly have rough, scaly skin whereas the skin of salamanders will be smooth and moist.

If you enjoyed this article, do check out our other pages on Japanese giant salamander facts and are snails born with shells.

Is it ok to touch salamanders?

With salamanders, a look and don't touch policy is the best. All species of salamanders secrete toxins through their skin, which can form a thin layer on their body.

The level of toxicity depends on the salamander species, as well as the age of the individual. Juveniles are more toxic than adults, as they secrete a higher level through their skin. A popular example is the eastern newt, with this bright orange salamander being highly poisonous in its juvenile stage.

If you come in contact with a toxic species of a salamander or touch one, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands before touching your face or any other part of your body. Accidentally ingesting these toxins can cause weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and a host of other health problems.

In some extreme cases, the poison ingested may also kill a human.

On the other hand, touching salamanders is not recommended as it can cause harm to the reptile itself as well! Salamanders have very sensitive skin which is quite absorbent, and moisture present on the hands such as oils, salts, and lotion can cause them harm.

Do not pick up or touch a salamander unless you are moving it out of harm's way, or wear gloves before touching its body.

The most toxic species of salamander is the rough-skinned newt. This dark-skinned salamander is found in North America and has its habitat in both aquatic, terrestrial,or forest regions.

The rough-skinned newt normally moves to the water during the breeding season, and is capable of spending its entire life underwater! The poison of this newt is potent enough to paralyze or kill humans.

As salamanders are amphibians, few young individuals will go through a larval tadpole-like stage during which they possess gills, as they spend the entirety of this period in the water. As they grow, they lose their gills as well as grow eyelids, a tongue, and legs, with which they can walk on land.

Salamanders mate land and female salamanders lay the fertilized eggs under leaves, attached to a rock, or near moist soil.

Most young salamanders skipping the larval stage and hatch live. They feed on small insects, using their tongue to capture them.

Non-aquatic salamanders are seen to be quite helpful due to their insect-based diet. They help farmers and gardeners by feeding on invertebrates which can otherwise cause damage to crops and plants.

Despite being poisonous in nature and having toxic skin, salamanders are not venomous. A venomous creature is one that is able to inject venom into its prey's bloodstream using its bite, and salamanders do not possess venom sacs in order to do so. So with a salamander's skin being toxic, its bite is actually much less dangerous!

How can you tell if a salamander is poisonous?

All salamander species are inherently poisonous, which is why it is advised to refrain from picking one up or touching one. Though salamanders are popularly kept as pets, they are kept for display purposes only and are not handled regularly.

Salamanders, like many other poisonous species of animals, come in a variety of bright colors and patterns to show predators that they are toxic. The presence of vibrant colors usually deters predators from preying on them, as they are a sign of the creature being poisonous.

The four species of the Taricha genus are seen as the most poisonous species of salamander and are found mostly along the coastal regions of the Pacific, ranging from Alaska to Baja California. These species contain tetrodotoxin, a highly dangerous biotoxin that can be potent even in small quantities.

This genus includes the rough-skinned newt, California newt, Sierra newt, and red-bellied newt. Though sometimes difficult to differentiate between species, this poisonous genus can be identified easily by their slender light or dark brown-black bodies and tails with orange to fiery red underbellies, as well as mostly yellow eyes.

There are subtle differences between each species such as the skin texture and eye color, however, if you find any salamanders with these general identification features of this genus along the western coast, then it is best to stay away.

Another salamander that can be considered very dangerous is the fire salamander. Though it does not have a poisonous bite, it does possess poison glands that can secrete or spray toxins that are quite powerful. If by any chance this toxin makes its way into your bloodstream, it can cause extreme muscle convulsions which can be very painful.

A species of pet salamander that can prove to be very toxic to pets if consumed is a black salamander. These black amphibians are usually speckled with white or yellow spots and have highly poisonous skin. As they are rare, they make for prized display pets.

Do salamanders bite?

Yes, despite salamanders being shy and non-confrontational reptiles, they are known to bite. Salamanders will normally not bite when threatened, preferring to run away and hide.

Most cases of salamanders biting humans are due to mistaken identity, in which they mistake fingers as food. Their bite however will not cause much damage and will feel similar to being pricked by small needles.

Larger salamander species such as the Japanese giant salamander may have a bigger bite, however, this will not prove to be a dangerous ordeal either. If you find yourself with a salamander bite, gently wash it with warm water and apply ointment in order to keep it safe from infection.

Some salamanders actually do not even possess teeth and tend to swallow their prey whole. The majority of salamander species have tiny teeth which do not help them to chew, but rather hold the insects steady while preparing to swallow them.

Common pet species such as the marbled salamander and tiger salamander are quite small in size and have tiny teeth, which makes them easy to care for.

Are salamanders dangerous to people and pets?

Though all salamanders are poisonous, the extent of toxicity depends on the type of salamander. If you have pets such as cats as dogs, then there is a chance that they may chase down and ingest salamanders, as they enjoy hunting down small critters.

Even the salamanders which are kept as pets do contain some amount of toxins, which can cause a number of unsavory reactions in pets.

If you live in an area where salamanders are common, then it is always good to be up to date on what these species look like and how toxic they are. Even if you do not have a salamander at home, your dog or cat may come across one of these amphibians while spending time outdoors.

If you suspect that your pet has swallowed a salamander, then there are a number of signs to look out for.

If your pet starts foaming at the mouth, is suffering from loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, or seems to be having muscle contractions, it may have eaten a toxic salamander. In case the creature eaten was highly poisonous, then it could even lead to rapid deterioration of your pet's health, slipping into a coma, or even death.

Like lizards, salamanders can also carry a number of parasites and bacteria which can be dangerous if ingested. Cats may suffer from liver fluke contamination, which is caused by liver fluke parasites. This causes deterioration of the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts and can cause weight loss, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness.

A more common disease that salamanders carry is salmonella, which can affect animals as well as humans. This can be transmitted to humans by touch, which is why it is advised to always wash your hands after handling a salamander.

Salmonella has symptoms such as weakness, nausea, fever, weight loss, and can lead to major health deterioration or death if it progresses far enough.

If you find your pet experiencing any of the above symptoms, then the safest bet is to take them to the vet and start immediate treatment. Simply licking or biting a salamander can also cause adverse reactions in animals, which is why it is never okay to ignore or wait until any symptoms worsen.

If you do find the salamander in question nearby, then be sure to click a photo to show to the vet for easier treatment.

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