Salamandra salamandra is the fire salamander most often available in the pet trade.

Although they are now hard to access in the USA, occasional fire salamanders may be offered in the pet trade. They are, roughly speaking, the Old World ecological equivalent of our ambystomatid species.

Fire salamanders are lovers of coolness, their ranges extending from cool, temperate lowlands to high into the European Alps. They are ovoviviparous, adult females bearing about a dozen gilled, living young in cool shallows. The gills may be prominent and well-developed, or in the perpetual coldness of alpine regions, nearly entirely resorbed at birth.

When keeping and breeding fire salamanders, coolness and cleanliness should be your 2 major concerns (of course this holds true for all caudates). Since salamanders like to burrow, and must be moist, several inches of fresh, damp (NOT WET), unmilled sphagnum moss will adequately provide for their needs. Or if this simple setup is not to your taste, you may prefer to make a naturalistic masterpiece having plantings of mosses, selaginellas, or even readily available potted plants such as vining philodendrons. Flat rocks, and driftwood can then be added to your taste. As with the sphagnum, the substrate should be kept damp, not wet.

Since amphibians absorb their moisture requirements through their skins and mucous membranes, it is unnecessary to provide a drinking dish but this is optional and will be needed, as will temperature cycling, if successful breeding is to occur.

Although it is entirely unlike the newts in appearance, the European fire salamander is a member of the same family, the Salamandridae. There are a number of subspecies (now often considered species) of this terrestrial caudate, their separation being based upon pattern (as well as locality and genetics).

The common fire salamander bears the redundant nomenclature of Salamandra salamandra. Hardly could a more beautiful salamander be imagined. The stocky, six inch length of the fire salamander is clad in glandular black skin highlighted with spots and stripes of intense, metallic, yellow. The head is broad and flattened and a pitted parotoid (nape) gland is present on both sides of the neck. The skin and parotoid secretions of the fire salamander are more toxic than are those of most other salamander species. Although it will not harm you (or them) to handle them gently, wash your hands before rubbing your eyes or putting your finger in your mouth.

Enough said.