Fire salamander

Fire salamander

Black and gold in the rain

סלמנדרהSalamandra infraimmaculata

The fire salamander is a black amphibian with bright yellow spots. It is the only salamander in Israel, and it lives at the southern edge of its range in the damp woods of the Galilee, the Golan, and the Carmel. Salamanders hide under rocks and logs by day and come out on rainy winter nights to feed and breed in forest pools. Their skin gives off a mild poison that deters predators. They are protected, and their populations depend on seasonal ponds that are drying up.

Glossary: Fire salamander