• Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults.

• The skin lacks scales and is moist and smooth to the touch

• Salamanders range in size from the minute salamanders, with a total length of 27 mm (1+1⁄8 in), including the tail, to the Chinese giant salamander which reaches 1.8 m (6 ft) and weighs up to 65 kg.

• Their permeable skin usually makes them reliant on habitats in or near water or other cool, damp places.