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The Fire Salamander III


The Fire Salamander III
Photo Information
Copyright: Emmanuel Boitier (emmari) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 105 W: 0 N: 387] (3105)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04-14
Categories: Amphibians
Camera: Nikon D200, Sigma 150mm F2.8 APO Macro DG HSM
Exposure: f/4, 1/320 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Amphibians - Salamanders & Newts 1 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-04-14 6:16
Viewed: 1233
Points: 12
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Another Salamandra salamandra
La Salamandre tachetée in French
The Fire Salamander in English

Hope you like it once more !
_________________________

The Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) is probably the most well-known salamander species in Europe. It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree - some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing with the yellow according to subspecies. Fire Salamanders can have a very long lifespan. In the German natural history museum of Alexander Koenig a salamander lived more than 50 years.

Habitat and diet
Fire Salamanders live in forests in the hilly parts of southern and central Europe. They prefer deciduous forests, as they like to hide in the fallen leaves, but also at mossy tree trunks. They need clean small brooks in their habitat for the development of the larvae. Whether on land or in water, fire salamanders are inconspicuous. They spend much of the time hidden beneath stones, wood or other objects.

Fire Salamanders are active in the evening and the night, but on rainy days they are active in daytime as well. Their diet consists of various insects, spiders, earthworms and slugs, but they also eat sometimes small vertebrates like newts and young frogs. Small prey will be caught within the range of the vomerine teeth or by the posterior half of the tongue, which adheres the prey.

Toxicity
Salamanders may actively defend themselves once they are grasped by a predator. Besides various antipredator postures, S. salamandra adults are able to extrude heavy toxic skin secretions, e.g. the neurotoxic alkaloid Samandarin. This alkaloid causes strong muscle convulsions and high-blood pressure combined with hyperventilation in all vertebrates. The poison glands of the Fire salamander are concentrated in certain areas of the body, especially around the head and the dorsal skin surface. The colored portions of the animals skin usually coincide with these glands. Most of these secretions might be effective against bacterial and fungal infections of the epidermis, but some secretions could also be dangerous to human life.

Distribution
Fire Salamanders are found in most of southern and central Europe. They are most commonly found at altitudes between 400 and 1000 m, only rarely below (in Northern Germany sporadically down to 25 m). However on the Balkan or in Spain they are commonly found in higher altitudes as well.
GLEM, ObySamKenoby, mikou, horia, eruyanik has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To GLEM:emmari 1 04-14 07:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Emmanuel,
this is wonderful, I haven't seen a living salamander for years, they are rare!
Your shot is excellent, I like your low POV and the sharpness, bye
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 528 W: 87 N: 697] (6119)
  • [2007-04-14 7:15]
  • [+]

Salut Emmanuel,
bon, je comprends pourquoi tu critiques peu, j'ai été voi ton site....aie, aie, c'est beau, très beau.
Ce profil de salamandre est aussi extra, la texture de la bête est d'une réalité frappante. Les couleurs ressortent bien ce qui confère un agréable côté esthétique.
bravo

Wonderful!
Great DOF, great definition, beautyful specimen.
The colors are just wonderful, it seems a painting.
My compliments.

Samuele

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 840 W: 67 N: 1311] (5269)
  • [2007-04-14 10:50]

Hi Emmanuel.
Great capture.I like your used point of view and perfect DOF with very nice blurry BG.Sharp details on body as well as colors are amazing.Superb done!
Best greetings Milos.

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2173 W: 220 N: 4384] (14904)
  • [2007-04-15 16:45]

Hi Emmanuel and sorry for the delay

This is again a superb salamander shot from you (as i liked your first ones very much as well).
The details on the body and skin here are terrific and very sharp and the shallow DOF does very well to isolate your subject from the rest of the scene.
Charming colors and lighting, too.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Great shot, great low pov! Wonderful presantation on this rare subject!
Congrats,
Ersin

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