- The common cold is yellow and black. It is said to have aposematic staining and it is no accident. Because these eye-catching colors have their function. It's a way to protect yourself, "Look! He has poison!” And of course, this feature has been reinforced by man. Because rooting has been transmitted from generation to generation that is dangerous, and to make it a reality, there are stories and stories associated with rooting.
Common rootstock (Salamandra salamandra)
Group: Vertebrate / Amphibian.
Size: 20 cm max (including tail).
Where does he live? In the surroundings of forests and streams.
What do you eat? Small invertebrates.
Level of protection: It has no protection.
However, really, only a small part refers to its venom: The arrabium contains a white summable liquid that, if any animal tried to feed it, would release it from the glands it has distributed throughout the body. The human being should also be careful if, after taking the brush, his hands are brought to the eyes, as itching may occur. So if you are in the forest, it is best to leave it alone on your way. Watch him, enjoy his beauty and let him go with respect.
However, it is possible that in your village or surroundings you have heard more than one terrible story or legend about the venom of the rootstock. Because there are many! In the valley of the Urumea there is one very widespread, the arrabian that ended the Vasomutiles. The story has been heard and collected in several villages and says:
“There was a crew of basomutiles who went to work in the woods and took a young man with them, as usual, to cook them for food. While the vasomutiles were working, the boy introduced the pot into the river with the intention of taking water from the river to cook the beans. However, he did not realize it and took the rug with water and boiled with the beans. Realizing that the mulch and the beans were cooked in hot water, and that the young man didn't know what to do, he took the mulch and threw it out so no one knew what to do. On the turn, due to the hunger of the vasomutiles, all the beans were eaten, but the cook, in silence, did not try any. Shortly afterwards all basomutiles died. The only survivor was a young cook. And that is why it is said that the rootstock has poison.”
The rootstock, as you can see, is an animal linked to the forest and the stream. And it's no wonder. He loves wet forests to hide between littering and dead logs, but he also needs streams for his breeding. It can therefore be said that the context of the story is at least perfect.
The common cold eats small bugs and is a slow animal. You don't need to take speed because your colors give you protection. But sometimes you prefer to hide under old or corrupt logs than to be in sight. For this reason, it is said that the density of rootstock in a forest is a good indicator to measure the quality of the forest.
Despite the above reports, rooting is an important element of the ecosystem of our forests. Today, in countries like the Netherlands, it has almost disappeared due to an illness. It is essential to preserve forests and their very roots well, if we do not want to leave in simple accounts the special magic of this amphibian.