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Alpine Salamander
Salamandra atra
A glossy black European terrestrial salamander native to the Alps. It is adapted to cold temperatures and features an extremely long, fully terrestrial gestation.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Salamandridae
Subfamily:Salamandrinae
Genus:Salamandra
Species:Salamandra atra
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
80 - 100 %
Day temperature
14 - 18 °C
Night temperature
8 - 12 °C
Ambient temperature
14 - 18 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the Alpine regions of Central Europe (including Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Germany). They inhabit damp coniferous and deciduous alpine forests, rocky meadows, and stone slopes at high altitudes.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belonging to the family Salamandridae. Unlike most amphibians, it is fully viviparous; depending on altitude, females gestate 1–2 fully metamorphosed young inside their bodies for 2 to 4 years.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and terrestrial, emerging during the day only after heavy rainfall. They are slow-moving and spend the cold winter months in deep subterranean hibernation.
Morphology: Reaches 10–14 cm in length. Both sexes are identical in their uniform glossy black coloration. Breeding males are distinguished by a swollen cloaca.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A cold horizontal terrarium (minimum 60x45x30 cm) is required. Use a cool, damp organic soil substrate topped with thick live moss and leaf litter. Stack flat, smooth rocks to create tight, humid crevices. A shallow, clean water dish is sufficient.
Lighting and Heating: Cold-adapted alpine species. Keep temperatures cool between 14 and 18°C. Temperatures exceeding 22°C are fatal within hours. Active cooling (air conditioning or wine cooler setups) is mandatory during summer. Winter hibernation at 4–6°C is highly recommended. Low UVB (2%) is optional.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity levels of 80–100%. Mist daily with cool, clean dechlorinated water. Excellent ventilation is critical to prevent stagnant air and skin diseases.
Feeding and Supplementation: Feed on slow-moving prey: chopped earthworms, small slugs, small crickets, and isopods. Feeding frequency is low due to a slow metabolism. Dust food with calcium and multivitamin supplements twice a week.
Compatibility: Highly peaceful and social with conspecifics. Can be kept in groups if multiple rock shelters are available. Never mix with other species.
Health and Common Diseases: Heat stress is the primary cause of death. Their skin glands secrete toxic alkaloids (samandarin), which are highly irritating. Always wear wet, powder-free gloves when handling.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the Alpine regions of Central Europe (including Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Germany). They inhabit damp coniferous and deciduous alpine forests, rocky meadows, and stone slopes at high altitudes.
Origin
Europe, Mediterranean, and West Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 15 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 15 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 15 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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