Salamandra atra Laurenti, 1768

Open encyclopedia reference

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.

Wikipedia contributors, Alpine salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T18:50:45.506427+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Salamandra atra Laurenti, 1768

Name authority

Laurenti, 1768

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Amphibia

Order

Caudata

Family

Salamandridae

Genus

Salamandra

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classAmphibia
9. orderCaudata
10. familySalamandridae Goldfuss, 1820
11. subfamilySalamandrinae Goldfuss, 1820
12. genusSalamandra Garsault, 1764
13. speciesSalamandra atra Laurenti, 1768

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Salamandra. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 111 records assigned to Salamandridae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=668391 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:6WZN4. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.