Salamander is the common name applied to approximately 500 amphibians with slender bodies, short legs, and long tails. The moist skin of the amphibians fits them to habitats either near water or under some protection on moist ground, usually in a forest. Some species are aquatic throughout life, some take to the water intermittently, and some are entirely terrestrial as adults. Salamanders superficially resemble lizards but are easily distinguished by their lack of scales. They are capable of regenerating lost limbs.