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Hello,
in our "Salamanderwanderung" event series we made a Salamandra salamandra terrestris trip in September, "Bergisches Land", Solingen/Remscheid, Germany.
On few km, more then 200 species:
female with broad pattern:

small pattern:

nice male with Bufo bufo:

juvenil with Bufo bufo:

untypical pattern:

... much more, look here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/salamander ... 541448414/
Paul

Great photoseries Paul! It is very interesting to see this diversity in terrestris-patterns. Thanks for posting!
Cheers,
Laura

Thanks Laura,

" diversity" - thats what I miss when I see all those domesticated, high yellow or red, so call "typical Solling" Salamanders in captivity!
In Nature they look quite different, like this:
http://www.salamanderseiten.de/salamand ... olling.htm

Paul

Hello Micha,
o.k call it "selective breeding"!
If over many generations all offspring is or high yellow. in my opinion it is the beginning of a domestication!
But no matter, the result remains the same.
Paul

Nice pictures Paul. Also three more cave salamanders plus Palmate Newt here yesterday

Thanks Julius,
cave salamanders are still active in Novenber, thats interesting!
Would like to see them
Paul

Hello Micha,
it was not my intention to describe a definition of domestication, but rather the result of selective breeding.
Still, I think that we have already partially the beginning of domestication here.
Salamandra was breed over many generations - F7 and more is not uncommon.
I found the following description - hope translation is understandable:

”The domestication of wild animals is due to the human selection and isolation of such individuals for breeding the kind most likely to meet the desired properties. Purpose of domestication is the use as livestock or pet.
By the onset of domestication of a species the conditions for the development of type are changed significantly. The natural evolutionary development is replaced by the selection criteria of the people by breeding. The genetic characteristics of the animals therefore change under domestication.”

Looking at our Axolotl I fear to see the result in the future.

Paul

Perhaps you like to see some photos of an other "Salamanderwanderung"
It was in August in Mülheim, NRW, Germany.
A small, isolated but very stable Salamandra salamandra terrestris population.
Three salamander:

untypical pattern:

this one I also found one year before, nearly at the same position, also untypical pattern:

juvenil:

Have had an exemption from the ULB, so I could take this Zootoca vivipara:

... not so nice, Anguis fragilis:

Some more, see here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/salamander ... 123113283/
Paul

Nice to see you here Paul

Wellcome Paul

Looking at our Axolotl I fear to see the result in the future.

What do you mean? What are the differences between wild axolotl and the domesticated ones?