 In salamanders , defence of a territory involves adopting an aggressive posture and if necessary attacking the intruder . This may involve snapping , chasing and sometimes biting , occasionally causing the loss of a tail . The behaviour of red back salamanders ( Plethodon cinereus ) has been much studied . 91 % of marked individuals that were later recaptured were within a metre ( yard ) of their original daytime retreat under a log or rock . A similar proportion , when moved experimentally a distance of 30 metres ( 98 ft ) , found their way back to their home base . The salamanders left odour marks around their territories which averaged 0 @.@ 16 to 0 @.@ 33 square metres ( 1 @.@ 7 to 3 @.@ 6 sq ft ) in size and were sometimes inhabited by a male and female pair . These deterred the intrusion of others and delineated the boundaries between neighbouring areas . Much of their behaviour seemed stereotyped and did not involve any actual contact between individuals . An aggressive posture involved raising the body off the ground and glaring at the opponent who often turned away submissively . If the intruder persisted , a biting lunge was usually launched at either the tail region or the naso @-@ labial grooves . Damage to either of these areas can reduce the fitness of the rival , either because of the need to regenerate tissue or because it impairs its ability to detect food . 
