The common salamander is fairly widespread in our region and work on a pile of stones in the garden yesterday uncovered this hibernating specimen. The colouring is to warn off potential predators, black and yellow being generally considered dangerous. The amphibians do exude a slime on the skin which can cause a rash in humans and make unwary puppies and cats ill. They are also capable of spitting a secretion up to a metre to ward off enemies. These defences mean the salamanders have few predators and consequently can live many years. Their nocturnal prowlings are slow and often the biggest risk they face is in crossing roads. Salamanders are thought to be able to survive fires and often feature in tales of fantasy. Unlike other amphibians, salamanders produce only a few offspring at a time - the female carrying larvae for up to nine months before giving birth in shallow water. The fact that the larvae are well developed means a high survival rate. They hibernate in rocky crevices or under damp rocks, hence the disturbed sleep of this chap. After being placed on the ground it soon woke up and ambled off to a new dark spot.
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