What genus includes the fire salamander?

The fire salamander belongs to the genus Salamandra.

Its scientific name is Salamandra salamandra, and it is a widespread European salamander recognized by its black body marked with yellow, orange, or occasionally reddish patterns. The striking colouration is aposematic: it warns predators that the animal’s skin secretions are toxic.

Salamandra is a genus of six recognized species found in central and southern Europe, parts of North Africa, and western Asia. Besides the fire salamander, the genus includes the alpine, Corsican, North African, Lanza’s alpine, and Near Eastern fire salamanders.

The fire salamander is often associated with damp deciduous forests and clean streams where its larvae develop. Several subspecies differ in pattern and reproductive biology; most are ovoviviparous, while some give birth to more developed young. “Triturus” refers mainly to newts, while Necturus and Ambystoma are unrelated salamander genera.