Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by a lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All present-day salamander families are grouped together under the scientific name Urodela. Salamander diversity is most abundant in the Northern Hemisphere and most species are found in the Holarctic ecozone, with some species present in the Neotropical zone.
Salamanders never have more than four toes on their front legs and five on their rear legs, but some species have fewer digits and others lack hind limbs. Their permeable skin usually makes them reliant on habitats in or near water or other cool, damp places. Some salamander species are fully aquatic throughout their lives, some take to the water intermittently, and others are entirely terrestrial as adults. Unique among vertebrates, they are capable of regenerating lost limbs, as well as other damaged parts of their bodies. Researchers hope to reverse engineer the remarkable regenerative processes for potential human medical applications, such as brain and spinal cord injury treatment or preventing harmful scarring during heart surgery recovery.[2] Members of the family Salamandridae are mostly known as newts and lack the costal grooves along the sides of their bodies typical of other groups. The skin of some species contains the powerful poison tetrodotoxin; these salamanders tend to be slow-moving and have bright warning coloration to advertise their toxicity. Salamanders typically lay eggs in water and have aquatic larvae, but great variation occurs in their lifecycles. Some species in harsh environments reproduce while still in the larval state.
In literature and legend, the salamander is associated with fire, being supposedly unharmed by the flames, while clothes made from its skins or 'wool' were believed to be incombustible. More plausibly, salamanders were said to be intensely poisonous. Despite this, salamander brandy, a drink prepared by dunking live salamanders in fermenting fruit juices, is reputed to have hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac properties. //Wikipedia
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 6,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic as it excludes the snakes which are also squamates.//Wikipedia
-->In the video below, the like-lizards appearance is very cute, but look they are not afraid of it bites.
On this episode of Breaking Trail, Coyote Peterson and the crew find a GIANT Salamander!
America’s only Giant Salamander, the Hellbender, has become severely threatened in many states across the nation and has since become difficult for even researchers to locate.
On this adventure Coyote and the team are joined by field herpetologist Tim Brust who leads them to a top secret location where these enormous amphibians still exist in limited numbers.
The goal of this expedition will be to collect field data and biometrics which will aid in further conservation efforts and enhance general public awareness so that these magnificent giants may continue to exist well into the future.
Get ready to see one of the biggest salamanders in the world...the Hellbender!
HUGE THANKS to Tim Brust for helping the crew on this adventure! Please take a look at Tim’s work by following his Instagram account - http://bit.ly/IGtimbrust
We would also like to extend a big thanks to ESI for extending Tim’s availability during their busiest season in the name of conservation and education.
Breaking Trail leaves the map behind and follows adventurer and animal expert Coyote Peterson and his crew as they encounter a variety of wildlife in the most amazing environments on the planet!
The Brave Wilderness Channel is your one stop connection to a wild world of adventure and amazing up close animal encounters!
Follow along with adventurer and animal expert Coyote Peterson and his crew as they lead you on three exciting expedition series - Emmy Award Winning Breaking Trail, Dragon Tails and Coyote’s Backyard - featuring everything from Grizzly Bears and Crocodiles to Rattlesnakes and Tarantulas…each episode offers an opportunity to learn something new.
Let's watch the video of Giant SALAMANDER Found:
