SALAMANDERS (sp. var.)
Spotted
(sp. Ambystoma maculatum)
Sometimes called ‘Mudpuppies’, but Mudpuppies never lose their gills. Salamanders
are nocturnal Amphibians, and some species
are known to be poisonous, and some even
have teeth.
Salamanders around Rockport include: Spotted (sp. Ambystoma maculatum), Tiger (sp.
Ambystoma tigrinum) and the Southern
Dusky (sp. Desmognathus auriculatus). But
unfortunetly, they aren’t as prominent as they
were even 20 years ago.
Tiger
(sp. Ambystoma tigrinum)
LORE: Normal size Salamanders - the kind
we have here in Rockport - can live for up to 30
years, but the Giant variety that lives in China
(nearly 6 feet long & weighing 140 lbs.) can
live for up to 75 years.
MORE LORE: Healthy Salamanders are
a good indicator of a pollution free environment, as they are very sensitive to any toxins
that are present in their habitat.
Southern Dusky
(sp. Desmognathus auriculatus)
ALSO: Salamanders have 10 times more
DNA in each cell than humans.
LORE: There are about 500 different
species of Salamanders world-wide,
and here in the Americas we have
more species than the rest of the world
combined.
64
LEGEND:
Salamanders can
survive and flourish in direct
contact with fire. It is most likely
that this legend was dirived from
the name ‘Salamander’, which
translated from Greek means:
‘Fire Lizard’.