Salamander

The Salamander, also known as the Axolotl, is an unusual amphibious creature, seemingly related to the lizard. It is capable of moving both over land and swimming through water, unlike their terrestrial cousins who can only float on it.

Salamanders have a 33.3% or 1/3 bite lethality rate.

Appearance
Salamanders come in two main varieties: albinistic and melanistic, the former of which is more common. These determine the base color of their bodies, which can then be tinted in blues, indigos, purples, pinks, reds and oranges. They feature gills and tail frills of varying lengths, and may also rarely exhibit back spines or plates. They have unique, narrower and more oval-shaped heads compared to lizards, the colour of which is shared with the body.

Combat
Fighting salamanders presents a unique dimension of complexity due to the fact that they are typically encountered in and around water, which gives them a significant advantage in terms of movement and offensive ability. If possible, never directly engage with a fight with a salamander in water - they are not very visible when underwater, making it hard to locate them, and submerged spears lose their velocity quickly and will not hit. Luring them back to dry land and engaging there is the best choice. Otherwise, they are not particularly different from a pink lizard (other than their tongue) and will typically die after 3 spear hits.

Stealth
Salamanders are often found blocking vital pathways and are typically found in areas that offer little options in the way of stealth, making it a hard option to employ against them. Avoid attempting to sneak around them in water - they have the speed and vision advantage, and are camouflaged in deeper water, making it difficult to spot them approaching until it is too late.

Evasion
Salamanders have average mobility on land, making them generally easy to avoid and outrun. However, it is more difficult when underwater due to their enhanced swimming ability. It is possible to slip past a salamander by quickly diving beneath them and resurfacing in a semi-circular pattern, but this will not work in shallower pools. In this case, luring them towards land where they are slower and moving around them there is a good option. If caught by their tongue, hitting them with a spear or rock will stun them.

Swimming
Salamanders have superior swimming capabilities and are able to swim much faster than they walk. They can be difficult to see when deep underwater, meaning they will likely spot and catch prey off guard if caution is not used. Out of water, they have average speed, and are able to climb up poles.

Water Vision
Salamanders can see perfectly underwater, but take a 50% vision penalty when looking into water from the surface.

Tongue
Salamanders have a short, sticky tongue which can reel in prey from a close range.

Taming
Salamanders generally require 3-4 jetfish or scavengers to tame.

Salamanders could be considered a better option than most other lizards for areas with water due to their unique ability to swim. However, they are not particularly strong, and do not offer much in the way of defence. Additionally, the reputation lost by gathering jetfish and scavengers to feed to them may make things more difficult, either due to a lack of available mobility options or the low reputation enticing them to attack.

Trivia

 * Curiously, despite being adapted for aquatic terrain, their code suggests their movement speed in water is only 0.2, which is a trait shared by pink, black, and white lizards. The fastest swim speed in the code is the red lizard at 1.9. It is worth noting that terrestrial lizard species avoid going in water if they can, and are incapable of diving downwards of their own accord.
 * Salamanders are not capable of being lineaged in their non-native regions, and are not a part of the Dragonslayer achievement.
 * Salamanders can appear as varying shades of purple, pink and red when going through pipes, which can cause them to be confused with pink lizards.
 * Neither variety of leech will attack salamanders.
 * Salamanders will snap at any batflies that linger around them, potentially killing them.