The salamander is an amphibian of the order Urodela which, as with many real creatures, often has been ascribed fantastic qualities by pre-modern authors (as in the allegorical descriptions of animals in medieval bestiaries), and in recent times, some have come to identify a legendary salamander as a distinct concept from the real organism. This idea is most highly developed in the occult. Where the two concepts can be distinguished, the legendary salamander is most often depicted much like a typical salamander in shape, with a lizard-like form, but it is usually ascribed an affinity with fire (sometimes specifically elemental fire).