▁leaf ▁l itter , ▁usually ▁near ▁streams , ▁in ▁wood ed ▁valle ys . ▁In ▁the ▁open ▁air ▁these ▁sal am and ers ▁are ▁no ct urn al , ▁emer ging ▁in ▁wet ▁weather ▁to ▁for age ▁but ▁retre ating ▁in ▁dry ▁weather ▁into ▁c aves ▁and ▁cre v ices ▁or ▁hiding ▁beneath ▁stones ▁or ▁logs . ▁When ▁under ground ▁they ▁are ▁active ▁at ▁any ▁time ▁of ▁day . ▁They ▁are ▁ag ile ▁and ▁can ▁clim b ▁on ▁rock ▁out cro ps ▁or ▁vertical ▁cave ▁walls , ▁using ▁their ▁t ails ▁as ▁props . ▁The ▁skin ▁secre tes ▁to xic ▁subst ances , ▁which ▁may ▁d eter ▁pred ators , ▁as ▁may ▁their ▁habit ▁of ▁rolling ▁their ▁tail ▁up wards . ▁ ▁M ales ▁are ▁a ▁little ▁smaller ▁than ▁females . ▁They ▁mate ▁on ▁land ▁after ▁an ▁elaborate ▁court ship ▁routine . ▁The ▁female ▁l ays ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁dozen ▁eggs ▁in ▁a ▁d amp ▁cre vice ▁and ▁gu ards ▁them ▁until ▁they ▁h atch ▁in ▁six ▁months ▁to ▁a ▁year ; ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁she ▁does ▁not ▁normally ▁eat , ▁though ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁for ▁females ▁to ▁eat ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁eggs . ▁The ▁young ▁emer ge ▁as ▁mini ature ▁adult s ▁about ▁ ▁without ▁an ▁interven ing ▁t ad pole ▁phase . ▁ ▁Species ▁ ▁The ▁genus ▁contains ▁the ▁following ▁species : ▁ ▁References ▁▁▁ ▁Category : C ave ▁sal am and ers ▁Category : Am ph ib ians ▁of ▁Europe ▁Category : Am ph ib ian ▁gener a ▁Category