The word "salamander" is the name for an entire group, or scientific order, of amphibians that have tails as adults. They have moist, smooth skin like frogs, and long tails like lizards. Most salamanders are small, and few species are more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) long. Their heads are narrow and they have small eyes.
A salamander’s hind legs grow more slowly than its front legs. All four legs on a salamander are so short that its belly drags on the ground. Since salamanders need to stay cool and moist to survive, those that live on land are found in shady forested areas. They spend most of their time staying out of the sun under rocks and logs, up in trees, or in burrows they’ve dug in the damp earth.
All salamanders are carnivores, but they are seldom in a hurry to catch their meals. Because they move more slowly than other meat eaters, salamanders tend to eat slow-moving, soft-bodied creatures such as earthworms, slugs, and snails. Larger species may eat fish, crayfish, and small mammals such as mice and shrews.