General Information






Salamanders and Newts General Information General Description Salamanders are cold-blooded animals with moist, slimy skins. They usually have four legs and a long tail, although members of the siren family only have two legs. Their bodies can replace lost parts, such as the tail and legs. Most salamanders are less than six inches long, but the Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus) grows up to six feet long. Salamanders cannot hear sounds, nor do they produce any. Distribution and Habitat Salamanders and newts are found on all continents except Antarctica, with the greatest diversity being in the United States. They live in ponds, swamps, streams, lakes, rivers, wet mountain forests, and grasslands. One species, the olm (Proteus anguineus), is the only cave-dwelling amphibian. Reproduction The female salamander usually lays her eggs in early spring. The eggs are deposited one by one, in groups or in long strings. The larvae hatch from the eggs at different times. In some species, the larva does not leave the egg. The larva breathes through external gills until it changes into an adult. Some kinds of salamanders, called axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum), keep their larval characteristics throughout life. The female fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) does not lay eggs at all; it is the only species of amphibian to give birth to live young. Diet All salamanders are carnivores. Since they are relatively slow animals, they generally prey on slow-moving, soft-bodied creatures such as earthworms, slugs and snails. Larger species may eat fish, crayfish, and small mammals such as mice and shrews, which are usually taken by chance ambush. Salamander or Newt? "Salamander" refers to all Caudates that have tails as adults, including newts and salamanders. The term "newt" is most often used for salamanders that spend most of each year living on land. "Siren" usually refers to salamanders that have lungs as well as gills and never develop beyond the larval stage. Scientific Classification phylum Chordata subphylum Vertebrata class Amphibia order Caudata Family Ambystomatidae (mole salamanders) Ambystoma altamirani Ambystoma amblycephalum Ambystoma andersoni Ambystoma annulatum ringed salamander Ambystoma barbouri streamside salamander Ambystoma bombypellum Ambystoma californiense California tiger salamander Ambystoma cingulatum flatwoods salamander Ambystoma dumerilii Ambystoma flavipiperatum Ambystoma gracile northwestern salamander Ambystoma granulosum Ambystoma jeffersonianum Jefferson's salamander Ambystoma laterale blue-spotted salamander Ambystoma leorae Ambystoma lermaense Lake Lerman salamander Ambystoma mabeei Mabee's salamander Ambystoma macrodactylum long-toed salamander Ambystoma maculatum spotted salamander Ambystoma mexicanum axolotl Ambystoma opacum marbled salamander Ambystoma ordinarium Ambystoma rivulare Ambystoma rosaceum Ambystoma talpoideum mole salamander Ambystoma taylori Ambystoma texanum small-mouthed salamander Ambystoma tigrinum tiger salamander Ambystoma tremblayi Ambystoma velasci Mexican tiger salamander Family Amphiumidae (amphiumas) Amphiuma means two-toed amphiuma Amphiuma pholeter one-toed amphiuma Amphiuma tridactylum three-toed amphiuma Family Cryptobranchidae (giant salamanders and hellbenders) Andrias davidianus Chinese giant salamander Andrias japonicus Japanese giant salamander Cryptobranchus alleganiensis hellbender Family Dicamptodontidae (Pacific giant salamanders) Dicamptodon aterrimus Idaho giant salamander Dicamptodon copei Cope's giant salamander Dicamptodon ensatus California giant salamander Dicamptodon tenebrosus Pacific giant salamander Family Hynobiidae (Asiatic salamanders) Batrachuperus karlschmidti Batrachuperus londongensis Longdong stream salamander Batrachuperus pinchonii stream salamander Batrachuperus tibetanus alpine stream salamander Hynobius nigrescens black salamander Onychodactylus fischeri long-tailed clawed salamander Onychodactylus japonicus Japanese clawed salamander Ranodon sibricus Semirechensk salamander Family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) Aneides aeneus green salamander Aneides ferreus clouded salamander Aneides flavipunctatus black salamander Aneides hardii Sacramento Mountain salamander Aneides lugubris arboreal salamander Batrachoseps aridus desert slender salamander Batrachoseps attenuatus California slender salamander Batrachoseps campi Inyo Mountains slender salamander Batrachoseps diabolicus hell hollow slender salamander Batrachoseps gabrieli San Gabriel Mountain slender salamander Batrachoseps gregarius gregarious slender salamander Batrachoseps kawia sequoia slender salamander Batrachoseps major Batrachoseps nigriventris black-bellied slender salamander Batrachoseps pacificus Pacific slender salamander Batrachoseps regius Kings River slender salamander Batrachoseps relictus relictual slender salamander Batrachoseps simatus Kern Canyon slender salamander Batrachoseps stebbinsi Tehachapi slender salamander Batrachoseps wrightorum Oregon slender salamander Chiropterotriton arboreus Chiropterotriton chiropterus Chiropterotriton chondrostega Chiropterotriton dimidiatus Chiropterotriton lavae Chiropterotriton magnipes Chiropterotriton mosaueri Chiropterotriton multidentatus Chiropterotriton priscus Cryptotriton adelos Cryptotriton alvarezdeltoroi Cryptotriton monzoni Cryptotriton nasalis Cryptotriton veraepacis Cryptotriton wakei Dendrotriton bromeliacius Dendrotriton megarhinus Dendrotriton xolocalcae Desmognathus aeneus seepage salamander Desmognathus apalachicolae Apalachicola dusky salamander Desmognathus auriculatus southern dusky salamander Desmognathus brimleyorum Ouachita dusky salamander Desmognathus carolinensis Carolina mountain dusky salamander Desmognathus fuscus dusky salamander Desmognathus imitator imitator salamander Desmognathus marmoratus Desmognathus monticola seal salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus Allegheny mountain dusky salamander Desmognathus ocoee Ocoee salamander Desmognathus orestes Blue Ridge dusky salamander Desmognathus quadramaculatus black-bellied salamander Desmognathus santeetlah yellow dusky salamander Desmognathus welteri black mountain salamander Desmognathus wrighti pygmy salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii California salamander Eurycea aquatica brown-backed salamander Eurycea bislineata northern two-lined salamander Eurycea cirrigera southern two-lined salamander Eurycea guttolineata three-lined salamander Eurycea junaluska Junaluska salamander Eurycea latitans Cascade Caverns salamander Eurycea longicauda long-tailed salamander Eurycea lucifuga cave salamander Eurycea multiplicata many-ribbed salamander Eurycea nana San Marcos salamander Eurycea neotenes Texas salamander Eurycea pterophila fern bank salamander Eurycea quadridigitata dwarf salamander Eurycea rathbuni Texas blind salamander Eurycea robusta robust blind salamander Eurycea sosorum Barton Springs salamander Eurycea tridentifera Comal blind salamander Eurycea troglodytes Valdina farms salamander Eurycea tynerensis Oklahoma salamander Eurycea wilderae blue ridge two-lined salamander Gyrinophilus gulolineatus Berry cave salamander Gyrinophilus palleucus Tennessee cave salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus spring salamander Haideotriton wallacei Georgia blind salamander Hemidactylium scutatum four-toed salamander Hydromantes brunus limestone salamander Hydromantes platycephalus Mount Lyell salamander Hydromantes shastae Shasta salamander Ixalotriton niger Leurognathus spp. shovel-nosed salamander Lineatriton lineolus Mexican slender salamander Nototriton abscondens Nototriton barbouri Nototriton picadoi Nototriton richardi Nyctanolis pernix Oedipina alfaroi Oedipina altura Oedipina carablanca Oedipina collaris Oedipina complex Oedipina cyclocauda Oedipina elongata Oedipina ignea Oedipina parvipes Oedipina paucidentata Oedipina poelzi Oedipina pseudouniformis Oedipina stuarti Oedipina taylori Oedipina uniformis Parvimolge townsendi Townsend's dward salamander Phaeognathus hubrichti red hills salamander Plethodon albagula western slimy salamander Plethodon aureolus Tellico salamander Plethodon caddoensis Caddo Mountain salamander Plethodon chattahoochee Chattahoochee slimy salamander Plethodon chlorobryonis Atlantic coast slimy salamander Plethodon cinereus eastern red-backed salamander Plethodon cylindraceus white-spotted slimy salamander Plethodon dorsalis zig-zag salamander Plethodon dunni Dunn's salamander Plethodon elongatus Del Norte salamander Plethodon fourchensis Fourche Mountain salamander Plethodon glutinosus northern slimy salamander Plethodon grobmani southeastern slimy salamander Plethodon hoffmani valley and ridge salamander Plethodon hubrichti Peaks of Otter salamander Plethodon idahoensis Coeur D'alene salamander Plethodon jordani Appalachian salamander Plethodon kentucki Cumberland Plateau salamander Plethodon kiamichi Kiamichi slimy salamander Plethodon kistachie Louisiana slimy salamander Plethodon larselli Larch Mountain salamander Plethodon mississippi Mississippi slimy salamander Plethodon neomexicanus Jemez Mountains salamander Plethodon nettingi Cheat Mountain salamander Plethodon ocmulgee Ocmulgee slimy salamander Plethodon ouachitae Rich Mountain salamander Plethodon petraeus Pigeon Mountain salamander Plethodon punctatus white-spotted salamander Plethodon richmondi ravine salamander Plethodon savannah savannah slimy salamander Plethodon sequoyah Sequoyah slimy salamander Plethodon serratus southern red-backed salamander Plethodon shenandoah Shenandoah salamander Plethodon stormi Siskiyou mountains salamander Plethodon teyahalee southern Appalachian salamander Plethodon vandykei Van Dyke's salamander Plethodon variolatus South Carolina slimy salamander Plethodon vehiculum western red-backed salamander Plethodon websteri southern zig-zag salamander Plethodon wehrlei Wehrle's salamander Plethodon welleri Weller's salamander Plethodon yonahlossee Yonhlossee salamander Pseudoeurycea altamontana Pseudoeurycea anitae Pseudoeurycea bellii Pseudoeurycea brunnata Pseudoeurycea cephalica Pseudoeurycea cochranae Pseudoeurycea conanti Pseudoeurycea exspectata Pseudoeurycea firscheini Pseudoeurycea gadovii Pseudoeurycea galeanae Pseudoeurycea goebeli Pseudoeurycea juraezi Pseudoeurycea leprosa Pseudoeurycea longicauda Pseudoeurycea melanomolga Pseudoeurycea mystax Pseudoeurycea nigromaculata Pseudoeurycea parva Pseudoeurycea praecellens Pseudoeurycea rex Pseudoeurycea robertsi Pseudoeurycea saltator Pseudoeurycea scandens Pseudoeurycea smithi Pseudoeurycea unguidentis Pseudoeurycea werleri Pseudotriton montanus mud salamander Pseudotriton ruber red salamander Stereochilus marginatus many-lined salamander Thorius arboreus Thorius dubitus Thorius macdougalli Thorius minutissimus Thorius narisovalis Thorius pennatulus Thorius pulmonaris Thorius schmidti Thorius troglodytes Typhlotriton spelaeus grotto salamander Family Proteidae (mudpuppies and waterdogs) Necturus alabamensis Alabama waterdog Necturus beyeri Gulf Coast waterdog Necturus lewisi Neuse river waterdog Necturus maculosus mudpuppy Necturus punctatus dwarf waterdog Proteus anguineus olm (blind cave salamander) Family Rhyacotritonidae (torrent salamanders) Rhyacotriton cascadae Cascade torrent salamander Rhyacotriton kezeri Columbia torrent salamander Rhyacotriton olympicus Olympic torrent salamander Rhyacotriton variegatus southern torrent salamander Family Salamandridae (newts and salamanders) Chioglossa lusitanica gold striped salamander Cynops ensicauda sword-tailed newt Euproctus montanus Corsican brook salamander Euproctus platycephalus Sardinian brook salamander Mertensiella caucasica Caucasian salamander Neurergus crocatus Lake Urmia newt Neurergus kaiser Lorestan newt Neurergus microspilotus Kurdistan newt Neurergus strauchii Anatolia newt Notophthalmus meridionalis black-spotted newt Notophthalmus perstriatus striped newt Notophthalmus viridescens red-spotted newt Pachytriton brevipes black spotted newt Pachytriton labiatus spotless stout newt Paramesotriton caudopunctatus spot-tailed warty newt Pleurodeles waltl Spanish ribbed newt Salamandra salamandra fire salamander Salamandrina perspicillata northern spectacled salamander Salamandrina terdigitata spectacled salamander Taricha granulosa rough-skinned newt Taricha rivularis red-bellied newt Taricha torosa California newt Triturus cristatus great crested newt Tylototriton shanjing Mandarin newt (Shanjing knobby newt) Tylototriton verrucosus Himalayan newt Family Sirenidae (sirens) Pseudobranchus axanthus southern dwarf siren Pseudobranchus striatus northern dwarf siren Siren intermedia lesser siren Siren lacertina greater siren Animal Diversity Web. animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Caudata.html Questions or comments about this page?
THE ROBINSON LIBRARY --> Science. --> Zoology. --> Reptiles and Amphibians. --> Order Caudata (Salamanders and Newts). This page was last updated on 03/19/2011.