Salamandra Salamandra

The fire salamander is a common European salamander with bold coloring ranging from mostly black with yellow spots or stripes to mostly yellow, and sometimes red or orange tones depending on the subspecies, a pattern that warns predators of its toxicity. It is found across Europe, especially southern and central regions, and can be remarkably long-lived, with one museum specimen in Germany surviving more than 50 years. It is currently rated vulnerable on the IUCN Red List largely because of the fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, which has caused severe population declines in parts of its range.