Salamanders And Newts: Caudata

Some people keep salamanders as pets. Salamanders also have been the subjects of myth, folklore, and literature. According to Aztec myth in Mexico, a god trying to escape from his enemies dove into water and changed himself into a salamander. From at least the time of the ancient Romans people have believed that salamanders cannot be harmed by fire. This belief arose because salamanders were seen crawling out of the flames after people placed logs on a fire. People also once believed that salamanders had magical powers. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, three witches brew a potion using "eye of newt."