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03.10.2011, 10:34
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
| Quote: | |  | | | pic or it doesn't exist  | | | | |   | Quote: | | | | | He hasn't got it yet. He's hoping someone will swap it for one of is 20 identical pictures of a rock. | | | | | Actually, I'm hoping someone will take one of my salamanders for the elusive Tibetan wild ass's left hind leg...  | | This user would like to thank Röschti for this useful post: | |
03.10.2011, 10:52
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
nice, but my little friend has a bright yellow underside  |
03.10.2011, 11:02
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
Ah, the Salamandra giallo.
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03.10.2011, 11:10
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
| Quote: | | | | | Ah, the Salamandra giallo. | | | | | Served with garlic and cream sauce no doubt....?
| | This user would like to thank Assassin for this useful post: | |
03.10.2011, 11:12
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
i found another photo of one online:  |
03.10.2011, 11:13
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
| Quote: | | | | | nice, but my little friend has a bright yellow underside | | | | | C'mon, you're not a racist, are you? |
03.10.2011, 11:36
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
| Quote: | | | | | C'mon, you're not a racist, are you? | | | | | Oh dear..."Open letter to all Salamanders..." rant in preparation  | | The following 3 users would like to thank Assassin for this useful post: | |
03.10.2011, 16:26
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
Upon a second thought, I think your little friend is not an Alpine salamander ( Salamandra atra) but an Alpine newt ( Mesotriton alpestris).
This is an Alpine salamander (courtesy of Wikimedia): 
If you notice, its sports a row of bulgy glands on its sides, which your little friend seemed to lack.
Here is a more detailed description of the Alpine salamander: | Quote: |  | | | Total length up to 144 mm for males, up to 151 mm for females. Slightly elongated head, with two large kidney-shaped paratoid glands. The body has 11-13 costal grooves on either side. The tail is square in cross-section. One double row of poison glands runs down the center of the back. One single row of poison glands runs along either side of the body onto the tail. Usually black or brown-black, but the subspecies Salamandra atra aurorae has a bright coloration on the head, back, and dorsal side of the extremities. This coloration can consist of continuous patches or be spotted or blotched. ( Source) | | | | | This, by contrast, is an Alpine newt ( source):   |
03.10.2011, 16:40
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| | | Re: What is this thing? [Insect? reptile? amphibian? alien?]
| Quote: | | | | | Upon a second thought, I think your little friend is not an Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra) but an Alpine newt (Mesotriton alpestris). | | | | | Can I take back my 'positively a salamander' comment? |
03.10.2011, 18:02
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| | | Re: What is this thing?
| Quote: | | | | | There may be more. I found one, then another, then another, and more so we have at least twenty in one corner of our garden.
(However, after some over-enthusiastic gardening in the vicinity, one's now missing a leg  ) | | | | | The little fella ought to be OK, according to wikipedia, "Unique among vertebrates, they are capable of regenerating lost limbs, as well as other body parts."
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03.10.2011, 18:20
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| | | Re: What is this thing?
| Quote: | | | | | The little fella ought to be OK, according to wikipedia, "Unique among vertebrates, they are capable of regenerating lost limbs, as well as other body parts." | | | | | maybe this could be the sure fire way to determining if it is a newt or a salamander | |
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