Salamanders are closely related to lizards. To maintain the moisture in their skins, most are found near ponds, streams or marshy places. However, some in the tropics live high in treetops where they get moisture from cup-shaped leaves that hold water from frequent rains.
In size, they range from one inch to five feet long, and in colors, from orange-red to very dark brown or black or with mottled skins of mixed colors. All salamanders’ legs are short, but their tails are usually almost as long as the rest of their bodies.
The Creator has given all salamanders large eyes with good vision, as well as long tongues that can flash out so quickly that, even if watching closely, you likely would miss the action. It is not necessary for them to chase the millipedes, flies and other insects that they eat. Salamanders wait perfectly still on a rock or other bare surface until a victim comes by, and then they capture it with a flick of their tongues.
While some species give birth to their young, most salamanders hatch from eggs. The eggs have been laid at the side of a stream or pond, and after hatching, the young live on insects that come near them. When grown, they live in nearby brush or grass or go into burrows or under a pile of moist leaves.
Some salamanders have very flat bodies, allowing them to squeeze between tight leaves of moisture-retaining plants. These have been provided by the Creator with webbed front and back feet, enabling them to cling to the smooth, wet foliage. Their tails can wrap around tree branches, which also helps them when looking for food.
An unusual feature God has given salamanders is their ability to grow new tails, legs and other body parts when they are torn off. Also, like a chameleon, they can change the color of their skins to match the rocks or soil around them.
These interesting creatures are seldom seen because they hunt mostly at night. They destroy great quantities of insects and pests that would otherwise be eating farm crops, fruits and other products. This may be one reason for their present place in God’s creation.
Did you ever stop to think that God has a definite reason and place for you in His creation too? The Bible tells us this: “Every man [person] hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that” (1 Corinthians 7:77For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. (1 Corinthians 7:7)). “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister [use] the same [gift] one to another, as good stewards [managers]” (1 Peter 4:1010As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)). The Lord Jesus will show you how to use your gift to please Him if you will ask Him.
ML-08/26/2001