 Salamanders are usually considered to have no voice and do not use sound for communication in the way frogs do ; however , some species can make quiet ticking or popping noises , perhaps by the opening and closing of valves in the nose . The California giant salamander can produce a bark or rattle , and a few species can squeak by contracting muscles in the throat . The arboreal salamander can squeak using a different mechanism ; it retracts its eyes into its head , forcing air out of its mouth . The ensatina salamander occasionally makes a hissing sound , while the sirens sometimes produce quiet clicks , and can resort to faint shrieks if attacked . Vocalization in salamanders has been little studied and the purpose of these sounds is presumed to be the startling of predators . 
