How Long Do Salamanders Live?

One of the enormously common questions that people ask about salamanders is how long salamanders live. Also, their mortality rate is increasing day by day. That’s why we’ve conducted some researches about salamander’s lifespan. Let’s see what we’ve found out.

Salamanders’ average lifespan ranges from 3 to 25 years. But, they can live from 3 years to 55 years. Their lifespan varies according to their species. Also, wild salamanders tend to live longer than captive or pet salamanders.

You might want to know why salamander’s lifespan gets short, why they are becoming extinct, which species live longer, etc. For this reason, we urge you to go through this article. In this article, you’ll get to know detailed information about how long salamanders live.

Average Lifespan Of Various Species Of Salamanders

Salamander is an exquisite amphibian. Many people have a fondness to keep them as a pet. Otherwise, you can find them in specific areas where the place is wet and moist. But, nowadays the number of salamanders is becoming low at an alarming rate.

The average lifespan of salamanders is 3-25 years.

We know that salamanders have a complex life cycle. They lay their eggs in the water. So, all salamanders stay in the water in their larvae phase. On the other hand, the larvae phase is the most crucial in the life of a salamander.

Because fish and other predators in water tend to eat and attack the larval salamanders. As a result, many salamanders die before their juvenile phase. 

After becoming an adult, a salamander can protect itself from the attack of its predator. Thus, they can live quite long.

If the salamanders can survive from the attack of predators and diseases, they will live long for 5-30 years. Again, this lifespan range varies from species to species.

Let’s have a quick look at the lifetime of various species of salamanders.

Species Of Salamanders	Lifespan
Marbled Salamanders	8-10 years
Spotted Salamanders	20 years (there are records to live as long as 30 years also)
Fire Salamanders	10-25 years ( one specimen made record living more than 50 years in Museum Koenig)
Mole Salamanders	3-10 years
Waterdog Salamanders	Up to 25 years
Tiger Salamanders	14 years to more
Long Toed Salamanders	6-10 years
Redback Salamanders	Approximately 25 years
Mudpuppy Salamanders	More Than 20 Years
Jefferson Salamanders	6-15 years
Northern Red Salamanders	Up to 20 years
Mountain Dusky Salamander	Approximately 15 years
Siren Salamanders	Up to 25 years
Northern Slimy Salamanders	5-10 years
Axolotls	Up to 15 years
Olm Salamanders	Average 69 years
Black Salamanders	Average 20 years ( some made record living as long as 30 years)
Spring Salamanders	6-10 years
Slender Salamanders	7-10 years
Limestone Salamanders	Over 20 years (in captivity)
Green Salamanders	7-10 years
Sacramento Salamanders	Average 10 years (20 years in captivity)

There are more species of salamanders with different lifespans in addition to this chart.

How Old Is The Oldest Salamander?

The Oldest Salamander was found alive around six years ago in China. It was a Chinese Giant Salamander.

That Chinese Giant Salamander was 200 years old. In captivity, this species can live for 50 years long.  So, if this giant salamander was 200 years old, this can be considered as the oldest salamander.

The Chinese Giant Salamander weighed around 110 pounds. Also, this 6 feet long salamander was one of the rarest salamanders.

Potential Reasons Of Salamander’s Short Lifespan Or Death

Although we can expect salamanders to live a long life, they die early due to many reasons. As a result, their lifespan becomes short.

Let’s check out the potential reasons for the salamander’s death.

• Many larval salamanders die off before reaching into their juvenile or adult phase. Sometimes; the pond or habitat, where they live, dries up. Also, predation is a big cause of salamander’s early death.

• In the case of predators of salamanders, the list is quite long. Especially, the eggs and larvae are at a vulnerable stake. The fish, snake, water bugs, frogs, crayfish, shrews, skunks, etc are the potential predators of salamanders.

• Salamanders have to depend on water throughout their lives. If the water quality is poor, they can’t survive. Many salamanders can’t live long due to get in touch with chlorinated water. Besides, the presence of ammonia in the water can be detrimental to salamanders.

• Sometimes, the waste products of the surroundings pollute the habitat of salamanders. As a result, the ideal pH of water for salamanders, which is 6.5-7.5, gets wabbled. So, the salamanders become stressed and might die.

• Salt is another reason for salamander’s short life. Almost 56% of salamander eggs can get destroyed due to salt. Besides, salt puts an effect on salamander’s skin to become dried up. In this way, salamander’s can’t live long.

• A very lethal fungus has recently been discovered. This fungus attack the skin of salamanders. Eventually, this dreadful fungus is taking the lives of many salamanders.

As a result of all of these reasons, salamanders can’t be able to live their average lifespan.

How Long Do Salamanders Live In Captivity?

The average lifespan of pet salamanders ranges from 6-10 years in captivity.

In captivity, salamanders’ lifetime depends on many factors. Besides their species and genetic features, their captive environmental condition is equally notable.

Generally, people take tiger salamander, eastern newt, axolotl, fire belly newt, etc in captivity. If the owner can give proper care and maintenance, these pet salamanders can live up to 25 years.

Why Pet Salamanders Live Shorter Than Wild Salamanders?

People often think that pet salamanders live longer than wild salamanders. Because there must be no potential predators in the tank of any pet salamanders. But, people’s presumption is wrong.

Pet salamanders do not usually live longer than wild salamanders. Because they are recognized as highly sensitive to any alternation in their habitat. Hence, it’s quite challenging to forge their environment for their owners.

However, pet salamanders can also live longer like wild salamanders. But, for this, they need proper care and maintenance.

How Can You Ensure Your Salamanders Live A Long Life?

In the above, we’ve shared the reason for the pet salamander’s shorter life with you. Now, we’ll try to enlighten you on how you can ensure your salamander’s long life.

Let’s jump into the list.

Finding The Right Tank :

Firstly, you need to choose a tank considering the type or species of your salamander. There are mainly three types of tanks for salamanders. Aquatic, semi-aquatic and terrestrial tank.

 So, choose the tank wisely. If you choose an aquatic tank for your terrestrial salamander, it’ll not survive. Therefore, it’ll die soon.

Provide Clean and Dechlorinated Water:

You can’t directly use pond water or tap water for your pet salamander. It’s better to use distilled water. Otherwise, you’ve to use the dechlorinated tablet in your tap water.

Heat And Light Management :

Salamanders are used to living in a moist, wet place. So, your pet salamander needs a low temperature in its tank. Also, it’s better to place the tank beside any window. Thus, your pet salamander can get natural light.

Proper Cleaning And Maintenance:

We’ve mentioned before that salamanders are highly sensitive. Hence, you need to keep the tank, furnishings, items in the tank, etc very clean. Moreover, you have to highly concern about not letting your salamander get in touch with chemicals. A slight amount of chemicals can cause the death of your pet salamander.

Final Words

Salamanders are also a part of nature. They can survive battling their hassles and live long for 5-25 years. Sometimes, they live more than 25 years. On the other hand, pet salamanders can also manage to live such a long life with proper care.