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Where are salamanders most abundant?
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amphibian
Banded fire salamander (Salamandra terrestris).
Salamanders are primarily found in the Northern Hemisphere, where they are most abundant in cool, moist, montane forests.123
While they are generally restricted to north temperate regions, they are particularly speciose and abundant in the following areas:
- North America: Specifically the Appalachian and Ozark uplands, as well as moist Pacific coastal areas.2
- Other Regions: Western Europe, Japan, and China.2
Additionally, the family Plethodontidae—the lungless salamanders—has been highly successful in tropical environments, showing great diversity in the humid tropical montane forests of Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. In favorable habitats, some smaller species can be extremely abundant, occasionally numbering thousands per acre.124