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david
Guest
I just posted some more pictures of marmortus Ana under the photo section. Are these what you have?
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rubén
Guest
Hi Ana , maybe I can help you . The species is Salamandra salamandra bejarae , and it`s quite usual to see the animals trying to enter in hot houses when starts the winter . Do you live in La Sierra norte , right? If you want some advice , send me an e-mail (rubenmtz@wanadoo.es) , bye...
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rubén
Guest
Another question . It's absolutely forbidden to send animals by the post , also in Spain , so be carefull Ana , although you could throw them out of your private property if you want , without legal consequences
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ana
Guest
Hi guys, ok, once again, thanks for your inputs. I guess what I really need to do is surf the net and identify the creatures in question. I think I can remember what they look like if I see them. I'll email you Ruben, and perhaps on a more personal note you can try to help me.
I live NorthWest from Madrid, about 30 Kms out. It's dry and hilly there. As I've said before, Spain is plagued by lizards and Salamanders, and have seen them my entire life. In fact, there is a great big lizard here where we work, which we feed regularly as we know where he lives. Only see him during the warmer months though.
On to salamanders being newts, I didn't know that, I thought they were two completely different animals, newts being more attracted to rivers, water, etc, and not so much with salamanders. Although it does get hot in the summer where I live, I guess that's why the mother salamanders likes to hang out in the rockery part of my garden, where it's cool, damp and cooler than the rest of the garden. No, they're not very fast (unlike lizards which are quite impossible to catch), but still quite nimble, specially the little ones, but have said before that I have been able to catch them, so obviously they're not that fast. Not sure if they squeak when picked up, as I just put a glass over them, a post card underneath and let them out far away from my house, (much like catching a spider in fact), they don't just pretend to be dead either. They're not quite wet looking, more like a lizard skin, but more rounded and pudgy looking than lizards, and can tell from their little fingers that are sort of wide at the end, unlike the claws of a lizard.
Anyway, I'll check out the pictures, if I can find where that is on here, and if I can identify them from those, will let you guys know. If not, I'll have to do a search on the web. Some urls of pictures of salamanders would be helpful. By the way, they are not black and yellow, but more sort of mottled brown.
I was, of course, only kidding about sending them in the post. Not even sure how I would go about that, and they would probably die in the journey anyway.
A.
I live NorthWest from Madrid, about 30 Kms out. It's dry and hilly there. As I've said before, Spain is plagued by lizards and Salamanders, and have seen them my entire life. In fact, there is a great big lizard here where we work, which we feed regularly as we know where he lives. Only see him during the warmer months though.
On to salamanders being newts, I didn't know that, I thought they were two completely different animals, newts being more attracted to rivers, water, etc, and not so much with salamanders. Although it does get hot in the summer where I live, I guess that's why the mother salamanders likes to hang out in the rockery part of my garden, where it's cool, damp and cooler than the rest of the garden. No, they're not very fast (unlike lizards which are quite impossible to catch), but still quite nimble, specially the little ones, but have said before that I have been able to catch them, so obviously they're not that fast. Not sure if they squeak when picked up, as I just put a glass over them, a post card underneath and let them out far away from my house, (much like catching a spider in fact), they don't just pretend to be dead either. They're not quite wet looking, more like a lizard skin, but more rounded and pudgy looking than lizards, and can tell from their little fingers that are sort of wide at the end, unlike the claws of a lizard.
Anyway, I'll check out the pictures, if I can find where that is on here, and if I can identify them from those, will let you guys know. If not, I'll have to do a search on the web. Some urls of pictures of salamanders would be helpful. By the way, they are not black and yellow, but more sort of mottled brown.
I was, of course, only kidding about sending them in the post. Not even sure how I would go about that, and they would probably die in the journey anyway.
A.
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ana
Guest
Ruben,
Just saw that you're from Spain like me, will email you shortly. YOu should know what I'm talking about, surely you've seen dozens of them too.
Besitos,
A.
Just saw that you're from Spain like me, will email you shortly. YOu should know what I'm talking about, surely you've seen dozens of them too.
Besitos,
A.
A
ana
Guest
David L.
Just checked the photos, neither of them really look like what I have in my garden. The little picture under your name seems to quite resemble the babies I get, although as far as I can remember, their heads may have been a little less wide. I don't think it's a salamandra salamandra, with the yellow markings, I would have remembered that. Anyway, am in contact by email with Ruben now, and hopefully he will know what I should. In fact, who better to know what I'm talking about than him, he only lives about 200kms. away from me!!! ;-)
Am slowly checking the other pics, but there are thousands of them. They all seem to be pretty much of newts though, with the sort of fin like tails. The ones in my garden have tails like lizards.
Just checked the photos, neither of them really look like what I have in my garden. The little picture under your name seems to quite resemble the babies I get, although as far as I can remember, their heads may have been a little less wide. I don't think it's a salamandra salamandra, with the yellow markings, I would have remembered that. Anyway, am in contact by email with Ruben now, and hopefully he will know what I should. In fact, who better to know what I'm talking about than him, he only lives about 200kms. away from me!!! ;-)
Am slowly checking the other pics, but there are thousands of them. They all seem to be pretty much of newts though, with the sort of fin like tails. The ones in my garden have tails like lizards.
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kaysie
Guest
with the 'wide' fingers at the end, they sound like geckos or something similar. newts/salamanders (known as caudates or urodele to the scientifically inclined) have pointy fingers.
try www.caudata.org/cc and look under 'species' and see what you can find
try www.caudata.org/cc and look under 'species' and see what you can find
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kim
Guest
I think these are geckos. Geckos have wide toes, for climbing on almost flat surfaces, they also run yet some are quite slow. They have Skin like a lizard, and just like the gecko I know called Jub Jub, can be fairly fat.
Geckos also like hiding in warm dark places, this might be why they are coming into your house and into childrens bedrooms.
Maybe try and google gecko and see what you find, Will j has a picture of a leopard gecko on his file.
Good Luck
Geckos also like hiding in warm dark places, this might be why they are coming into your house and into childrens bedrooms.
Maybe try and google gecko and see what you find, Will j has a picture of a leopard gecko on his file.
Good Luck
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rubén
Guest
Excuse for the last mistake . In agreement with the description of Ana , the species is Triturus pygmaeus , very common on these mountains of Madrid , even in gardens and private houses .
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jesper
Guest
Wow! Triturus pygmaeus in your house!
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benjamin
Guest
If you ever encounter them a again pick them up next time to see if they have dry skin and if they squeak. Many newts squeak when handled or startled, while lizards tend to hiss like snakes. Most of the year european newts don't have fin like tails, this only happens during breeding or in the larval stage. European salamanders never have tails ecxept as larvae. Last time I went to Spain came looking for newts and salamanders I saw absolutely none, but found tons of Gekos while I wasn't even looking for them. Like many newts and salamanders there are many crepescular and nocturnal geckos. How big are their eyes?
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kaysie
Guest
Ben, I'm not sure where you get your information, but its pretty rare for newts to 'squeak'. I've heard my 1 Jeffersons sal squeak once, and that was it.
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jesper
Guest
Hi,
Well lets assume it is a newt/salamander out of respect for Ana should we
Anyway, you describe a 21cm greenish salamander/newt that lives in your house.
As far as I know there is only one greenish salamander/newt in Spain and that is Triturus pygmaeus. However what you describe cannot be Triturus pygmaeus since they are about half the size of your critter.
Well lets assume it is a newt/salamander out of respect for Ana should we
Anyway, you describe a 21cm greenish salamander/newt that lives in your house.
As far as I know there is only one greenish salamander/newt in Spain and that is Triturus pygmaeus. However what you describe cannot be Triturus pygmaeus since they are about half the size of your critter.
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benjamin
Guest
Let me re-frase the tail thing, I meant Salamandra salamanders don't have fin like tails as adults
. My very first encounter with a newt was when I nearly stepped on it, it squeaked and attracted my attention. A book I later read, it's out in my garden shed with the newts, confirmed that this was a deffense that at least British newts, (all of them Triturus sp.), used. The book used the example of a heron picking a newt out of the water, being startled by the squeaking and dropping it. I have also heard from people on this forum that marmoratus are quite squeaky newts. I'll list a bibliography of the book tomorrow, I think it's called "Newts of Great Britain", it's part of a large series of wild life books.
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john
Guest
Lizards enter houses in Southern Europe in search of warmth for the winter. Newts do not seek heat in Spain, they try to get away from it. Newts would be going into your house in the summer to get away from the heat, if ever. Certainly not in the central Spanish winter (if you can call it winter!).
It is a lizard, not a Marbled Newt. In Southern Europe there are many kinds of lizard, in all shapes, sizes and colours.
It is a lizard, not a Marbled Newt. In Southern Europe there are many kinds of lizard, in all shapes, sizes and colours.
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shaun
Guest
To be fair, she said that the animals are only around during the summer. Perhaps her home is uncarpeted and airconditioned, and they are entering it to escape the heat. While some of the species that Mike mentioned have similar colouration to marbled newts, none of them possess fat toes. Still, if the mystery animals look nothing like Dave's marms, I'm guessing they're geckos, and this thread is just an extreme version of the gecko merchandise gift syndrome that plagues salamander enthusiasts
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ana
Guest
hi guys,
I really do appreciate all your efforts, and you know what, without even wanting to I am now becoming an expert, hahahaha. I hate the darn things you know, creepy crawlies, snakes (which I have also found in my house one time, yes, true, and a pretty big one it was too, which coiled, and that did start hissing at me when it saw me, in fact, got the local police to come in and get it out, also with a little baby in the house, anyway, that's another story), I hate spiders, ants even, so you can imagine what it's like for me to see you lot in the pictures section holding them, disgusting!!! ;-)
IT IS NOT A LIZARD AND IT IS NOT A NEWT, that much I do know, really, trust my intelligence, thanks Japser, for your support on that!! ;-)
However, I'm not really sure if it's a gecko or a salamander, didn't know the difference between them, guess I will in the next few days. Have to check out what Ruben says it is, which it probably is, as he knows where I live and so knows the species that roam that area. Yes, I only see them in the late spring/early summer, which is when lizards are mostly seen around here too, they like the warmth (they probably hibernate in the winter). My house is cooler inside, so they may get in to escape the rather high temperatures outside.
When catching the little ones, they have never squeaked or hissed (how amazing is that!!!), but will definitely try and keep an ear out next time. Thing is, I was hoping there wouldn't be a next time, so I guess you guys are now in for a treat, as I'll take pictures of them, the babies at least as they're easy to see and catch. As for the "mother" well she's harder to spot. In the three years this has been happening, I only ever got to see it once, and then it just went into some kind of whole in the wall or whatever. They are dry skinned, not shiny, and do very much resemble a lizard, only fatter, less slimline, but same colour. They dont'have webbed feet as such, but rounded toes, not pointy like lizards.
Thanks all the same guys, but still no advice on how to make it hate my garden and bugger off!!!
A.
I really do appreciate all your efforts, and you know what, without even wanting to I am now becoming an expert, hahahaha. I hate the darn things you know, creepy crawlies, snakes (which I have also found in my house one time, yes, true, and a pretty big one it was too, which coiled, and that did start hissing at me when it saw me, in fact, got the local police to come in and get it out, also with a little baby in the house, anyway, that's another story), I hate spiders, ants even, so you can imagine what it's like for me to see you lot in the pictures section holding them, disgusting!!! ;-)
IT IS NOT A LIZARD AND IT IS NOT A NEWT, that much I do know, really, trust my intelligence, thanks Japser, for your support on that!! ;-)
However, I'm not really sure if it's a gecko or a salamander, didn't know the difference between them, guess I will in the next few days. Have to check out what Ruben says it is, which it probably is, as he knows where I live and so knows the species that roam that area. Yes, I only see them in the late spring/early summer, which is when lizards are mostly seen around here too, they like the warmth (they probably hibernate in the winter). My house is cooler inside, so they may get in to escape the rather high temperatures outside.
When catching the little ones, they have never squeaked or hissed (how amazing is that!!!), but will definitely try and keep an ear out next time. Thing is, I was hoping there wouldn't be a next time, so I guess you guys are now in for a treat, as I'll take pictures of them, the babies at least as they're easy to see and catch. As for the "mother" well she's harder to spot. In the three years this has been happening, I only ever got to see it once, and then it just went into some kind of whole in the wall or whatever. They are dry skinned, not shiny, and do very much resemble a lizard, only fatter, less slimline, but same colour. They dont'have webbed feet as such, but rounded toes, not pointy like lizards.
Thanks all the same guys, but still no advice on how to make it hate my garden and bugger off!!!
A.
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john
Guest
Geckos _are_ lizards... Lizard is an umbrella term for a lot of reptiles (not snakes or turtles). What you have is not a salamander. You are more closely related to reptiles than reptiles are to salamanders. They just have vaguely the same body shape.
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ana
Guest
Thanks for the info John, and I'm very happy we're getting to know what I have. Still, I want them out of my garden, and I hate to say that to you guys who probably think I'm crazy for wanting to do that, but then I couldn't be like you and love those things or have them as pets!!! In fact, do they like being pets? Wouldn't they prefer to be outside living their own lives? Just asking, don't want to get into any major discussions here.
Will check out your page and pics and see if I can see what I have, although I doubt it, unless you have species from Southern Europe.
Will check out your page and pics and see if I can see what I have, although I doubt it, unless you have species from Southern Europe.
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ana
Guest
BTW John, for your info, it get's pretty damn cold her in Central Spain in the winter, below zero most of the time at night. It also snows, a lot. There are a range of mountains about 20 mins drive from where I live where I go to ski. Actually, it probably gets colder here in winter than UK, certainly than London where I lived for 18 years. Not sure about Ireland.