Salamander
Salamanders are large amphibious creatures found near water throughout Middle-earth, favoring warm, damp environments such as hot springs, geothermal pools, underground waterways, and steaming marshlands. Though often mistaken for simple beasts, salamanders are in fact one of the smallest breeds of Dragon-kind, wingless and serpent-like, and are generally assumed to be related to Worms.
Most salamanders are roughly the size of a large dog, though some grow far larger. Like many draconic creatures, they can exhale short bursts of fire and are immune to its effects. They are always aggressive, fiercely defending their territory, particularly near favored heat sources. Salamanders are weak to Ancient Dwarf-make damage and resistant to Songs, and prolonged exposure to warmth appears to strengthen them further.
Salamanders are found in Evendim, notably around the Barandalf and on Tyl Ruinen, where the most recent spread of the creatures is believed to have originated during the Third Age. Other varieties inhabit subterranean and volcanic regions such as The Water-works of Moria and Gollum's Cave in the Misty Mountains. Their presence is often taken as a sign of hidden heat or corruption beneath the land.
A record of known salamander sightings gathered from travelers’ journals:
