Most are between 4-6 inches, except for a few larger members. They have a short body, four legs, a long tail, and moist skin with patterns or bold colors. They feed on insects, worms, and snails and require a damp habitat since they absorb water through their skin. Some also use their skins for breathing. In cold climates, they hibernate over winter; most salamanders are nocturnal.

It is not clear why such watery creatures acquired their association with fire. It is also hard to explain why some sages referred to the creature as a turtle, and others saw it as a mouse. Some writers even described it as an insect. One scholar claimed the animal was a fish or a crustacean. The explorer Marco Polo further contended that the salamander is not even a living creature but a mineral. Most people, though, agreed...

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