Alpine salamander
Salamandra atra Laurenti, 1768
The alpine salamander (Salamandra atra) is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts group, belonging to the family Salamandridae in the order Caudata. It is a tiny, nocturnal species with an adult body mass of 8.2 g and a body length of up to 15 cm, and its microhabitats are aquatic and terrestrial.
Quick facts about the alpine salamander
It reproduces by live birth, with litters from 11 to 50 young, and has a lifespan of up to 17 years. The IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- 8.2 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- up to 15 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- up to 17 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- mountainsrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- 11 – 50src for Young per litter or clutch
- Reproduction
- Live birthsrc for Reproduction
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)src for Active
- Lifestyle
- Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the alpine salamander
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the alpine salamander live?
Not recorded
What is the alpine salamander?
The alpine salamander (Salamandra atra) is a black salamander that can be found in the Alps, and through the mountainous range in Europe. It is a member of the genus Salamandra. The species name, atra, is derived from the Latin ater, meaning dull black. The colour of salamanders has evolved over time, as some species are completely monochrome black, and others have yellow spotting and marks. Their life expectancy is at least 10 years. There are four subspecies of the alpine salamander, with varied distribution and physical colour. Unlike other salamanders, whose larvae develop in water, the alpine salamander and its subspecies are fully terrestrial species in life and gestation. They give birth to live young.
Alpine salamanders produce toxic compounds from their skin. These compounds may protect them from both predator and microbial threats.
From the Wikipedia article “Alpine salamander” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alpine_salamander&oldid=1377734444), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the alpine salamander endangered?
The alpine salamander is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the alpine salamander classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAmphibia
- orderCaudata
- familySalamandridae
- genusSalamandra
- SpeciesSalamandra atra Laurenti, 1768
Synonyms Geotriton fuscus, Geotriton fuscus, Lacerta atra, Salamandra atra atra, Salamandra atra aurorae, Salamandra atra pasubiensis, Salamandra atra prenjensis, Salamandra aurorae, Salamandra fusca, Salamandra maculosa atra, Salamandra nera, Salamandra nigra, Spelerpes fuscus, Triton fuscus
Other names and names in other languages (32)
- Black alpine salamanderEnglish
- Black salamanderEnglish
- Golden salamanderEnglish
- Golden salamanderEnglish
- سمندل الألبArabic
- mlok černýCzech
- WegmandlGerman
- AlpensalamanderGerman
- BergmandlGerman
- BergsalamanderGerman
- alpi salamanderEstonian
- alppisalamanteriFinnish
- Salamandre noireFrench
- Salamandre noire (La)French
- סלמנדרה שחורהHebrew
- crni daždevnjakCroatian
- alpesi szalamandraHungarian
- Ալպիական սալամանդրաArmenian
- Salamandra AlpinaItalian
- Salamandra Alpina di AuroraItalian
- アルプスサラマンダーJapanese
- AlpesalamanderNorwegian Bokmål
- AlpenlandsalamanderDutch
- Salamamdra czarnaPolish
- salamandra czarnaPolish
- salamander nairRomansh
- Чёрная саламандраRussian
- Альпийская саламандраRussian
- Planinski močeradSlovenian
- salamandra e zezëAlbanian
- AlpsalamanderSwedish
- 黑真螈Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFTAXREFWikidataIUCN Red List
Relatives of the alpine salamander
Other species in the same genus Salamandra.
Fire salamander
Salamandra salamandra
Arouss al Ayn
Salamandra infraimmaculata
Lanza's fire salamander
Salamandra lanzai
Corsican fire salamander
Salamandra corsica
Algerian salamander
Salamandra algira
CompareAlpine salamander vs Fire salamanderAlpine salamander vs Arouss al AynAlpine salamander vs Lanza's fire salamanderAlpine salamander vs Corsican fire salamander
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the alpine salamander?
The alpine salamander is an amphibian in the salamanders and newts group, classified in the family Salamandridae and the order Caudata.
How big is the alpine salamander?
The alpine salamander has a body length of up to 15 cm and an adult body mass of 8.2 g, placing it in the tiny size class.
Is the alpine salamander endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List assesses the alpine salamander globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
How long does the alpine salamander live?
The alpine salamander has a lifespan of up to 17 years.
How many young does the alpine salamander have?
The alpine salamander gives live birth, with litters from 11 to 50 young.
Is the alpine salamander nocturnal?
Yes, the alpine salamander is nocturnal.
Who named the alpine salamander?
The alpine salamander, Salamandra atra, was named by Laurenti in 1768.
What are other names for the alpine salamander?
The alpine salamander is also called the Black salamander, Golden salamander and Black alpine salamander.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits · CC BY 4.0 · v1
Oliveira, B.F., São-Pedro, V.A., Santos-Barrera, G., Penone, C. & Costa, G.C. (2017) AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits. Scientific Data 4: 170123. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.123. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4644424.v5 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/alpine-salamander
“Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/alpine-salamander.
@misc{alpine_salamander_2026,
title = {Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/alpine-salamander},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}