WFC154L Herpetology Lab: Lab Practical I

Cryptobranchidae

Distribution: eastern China, southern Japan, eastern United States

Traits

• the largest salamanders

• eyes are lidless,

• baggy skin for cutaneous respiration

• flattened body shape

• incomplete metamorphosis

• adults have hidden gill slit

• suction feeders with no
  tongue

• external fertilization

• nest guarding by males.

Cryptobranchidae

Hynobiidae

Traits:

• Complete metamorphosis (no gills or gill slits)

• typical terrestrial body plans

• distinguished from other salamanders by osteology

• Lungs reduced in some genera, and completely absent in
  one genus

Hynobidae Distribution

Asia, from Ural Mountains to Pacific (including Japan and Taiwan), south to China, Afghanistan, and Iran

Hynobiidae

Sirenidae

• Eel-like, incomplete metamorphosis (paedomorphic)

• adults have external gills,

• keratinized beak with nonpedicellate teeth

• two forelimbs with reduced number of digits

• no pelvic girdle

• external fertilization,

• paternal care

Sirenidae

Distribution: Michigan, southeastern United States, and extreme northeastern Mexico

Sirenidae

Salamandridae

Traits:

• Variable in external appearance

• all have four good limbs

• most have complete
  metamorphosis

• many are aquatic with smooth skin and finss

• terrestrial individuals with rugose
  skin

• all have toxic skin secretions, often brightly colored.

Taricha Torosa - Salamandridae

Salamandridae Distribution

Europe, Turkey and the Levant, southern China and northern Indochina, Japan,
northwestern Africa, and North America

Dicamptodontidae

Large, brown mottled with black, absent or facultative metamorphosis

Ambystomatidae

Few distinctive characters, moderate size, smooth skin, robust body, short blunt head.

Ambystomatidae Distribution

North America, from Canada south to central Mexico and from the Pacific to the Atlantic

Proteidae

• Paedomorphic, adults have large external gills caudal fin, no eyelids, no upper jaw

• four good limbs

• reduced number of digits on front & rear limbs. European species is cave- dwelling, Proteus anguinus

Proteidae Distribution

Eastern United States and Canada, east coast of Adriatic Sea

Rhyacotritonidae

• Small (< 6 cm), semi-aquatic and found in fast-flowing streams

• complete metamorphosis

• reduced lungs

• large eyes

• square gland behind vent of males

• plain brown or olive colored dorsum with mottling

Rhyacotritonidae Distribution

Pacific Northwest from California to Washington

Amphiumidae

• eel-like

• incomplete metamorphosis

• lack eyelids

• adults do not have external gills (but
  retain one pair of gill slits)

• four tiny legs with a reduced number of digits

Amphiumidae

Southeastern United States

Plethodontidae

• highly diverse, some are worm-like, some are arboreal, some are aquatic cave dwellers.

• All lack lungs, all have nasolabial groove, and many have direct development

• variety of nasolabial groove sizes

Plethodontidae Distribution

disjunct distributions in eastern and western North America, Latin America,
southern Europe, Korea

Order Gymnophiona (Caecilians)

• pantropical; Central and South America, East and West Africa, southern India and Southeast Asia

• They are elongate in body form with reduced eyes and some species have dermal scales. All
  caecilians reproduce through internal fertilization.

• No limbs or limb girdles
  • Annuli
  • Greatly reduced tails
  • Tentacles
  • Some have dermal scales
  • Heavily ossified skull
  • All have internal fertilization
  • Phallodeum – male
  reproductive organ

  
  
  

Proteidae - Necturus Maculosus (Common Mudpuppy)

Cryptobranchidae - Cryptobranchus alleganiensis (Hellbnder)

Salamandridae

Newts. Noxious, no distinct costal grooves, rough skin (except in breeding males)

Taricha granulosa

• Rough-skinned newt

• Body brown above and orange below

• dark under eye

• eyes do not reach outline of head

• unken reflex

Taricha granulosa

Taricha rivularis

Red-bellied newt. Body black above and red below, dark eyes

Taricha rivularis

Taricha torosa

• California newt

• Body brown above and orange below

• light under eye,

• eyes reach outline of head.

Taricha Torosa Distribution

• Western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains South of the Kaweah river.

• •Coast range mountains Mendocino to San Diego county

Taricha Torosa - California Newt

Taricha sierrae - Sierra Newt

• Appearance similar to T. torosa, though more ventral coloration extends onto the eyelids and snout.

• Best differentiated based on locality

Taricha Sierrae

• Western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains North of Kaweah river

Ambystomatidae

Mole salamanders. Distinct costal grooves, robust body form

Ambystoma californiense

California tiger salamander. Big, black with whitish-to-yellow
spots

Ambystoma californiense

Ambystoma gracile

• Northwestern salamander

• Uniform color

• large parotoid glands

• conspicuous poison glands along dorsal side of tail

• lacks foot tubercles

• head has big bumps that secrete toxins (the glands)

Ambystoma gracile

Ambystoma macrodactylum

Long-toed salamander. Yellow, tan, or olive green stripe or
blotches on back, long fourth toe

dorsal stripe patterning

4th toe long

Ambystoma macrodactylum

• California tiger salamander. Big, black with whitish-to-yellow
  spots

Ambystoma mavortium

• Barred tiger salamander

• Introduced species from Texas that
  hybridizes with native A. californiense

• Large, stout-bodied salamander with dark
  background and yellow bars, less spotting

Ambystoma mavortium (distribution)

Ambystoma gracile (Distribution)

Ambystoma californiense (Distribution)

Ambystoma macrodactylum (Distribution)

Salamandridae Overview

Dicamptodontidae

Pacific giant salamanders. Large robust salamanders, tan to reddish brown
above with copper to dark brown marbling. Best differentiated based on locality

Dicamptodon ensatus

California giant salamander. Occurs from Santa Cruz County
through Sonoma County.

Dicamptodon tenebrosus

• Pacific giant salamander. Occurs from Mendocino County
  north.

• There is a narrow contact zone between the two species in southern Mendocino County

Dicamptodon ensatus

• Santa Cruz through Sonoma County

Dicamptodon tenebrosus

Pacific giant salamander. Occurs from Mendocino County
north.
There is a narrow contact zone between the two species in southern Mendocino County

Rhyacotriton variegatus

• Southern torrent salamander.

• Olive mottled with dusky above,
  yellowish green below with black spots

• large eyes, tiny body

• square gland behind vent of males.

Rhyacotritonidae

Torrent salamanders.

Rhyacotriton variegatus

Distinguishing  Plethodontidae

Nasolabial groove, costal grooves, small terrestrial form

Plethodontidae

Lungless salamanders. Smooth skin, no lungs, nasolabial groove

• Hydromantes

• Batrachoseps

Hydromantes

• Web-toed salamanders

• Webbed toes

• front and rear limbs overlap when adpressed

• short tail.

• arm and leg ratio to body more even

• high in mountain elevation

Hydromantes brunus

Limestone salamander. Plain brown above and pale below

Hydromantes brunus distribution

Hydromantes platycephalus

Mount Lyell salamander. Flattened head and body,
granite pattern.

Hydromantes platycephalus

Batrachoseps

• Plethonidae

• Slender salamanders

• Only four toes on hind feet

• Two major clades
  within the group.

• The B. attenuatus clade is uniformly slender and elongate,
  “worms with legs”

• The B. robustus group is more robust, longer limbs, head
  shape reminiscent of Hydromantes.

Batrachoseps attenuatus

• California slender salamander

• Small

• narrow head

• shorter legs

• dark belly

• slender abdomen

• tail same length as body

• 4 toes hind feet

Batrachoseps attenuatus

Batrachoseps robustus

• Kern Plateau Salamander

• Variable on dorsal side

• underside dark

• Stout, with larger limbs and feet.

• larger/thicker than b. attenuates

• tiny distribution in Kern Plateau

• tail can be length of body, often smaller

Batrachoseps robustus

Subfamily Plethodontinae

Ensatina eschscholtzii

• Basal constriction on tail

• Ring species, 7 seven species (don’t need to know subspecies)

• Reddish or pinkish brown above, lighter
  below

• tail consitriction

How to identify Ensatina

Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii (Monterey Ensatina)

Plethodon

Woodland salamanders. Limbs don’t touch when adpressed, long tail

• lack specialized traits to distringuish other 4 CA genera

• costal grooves

• 5 toes on hind feet

Plethodon dunni

• Dunn’s salamander

• 15 costal grooves

• no webbing between toes.

Plethodon dunni

Plethodon elongatus - Del Norte salamander.

• Toes short and slightly webbed

• 18 costal groove

Aneides

• Climbing salamanders

• Triangular head

• projecting upper jaw teeth

• long toes with square tips (except A. flavipunctatus),

• prehensile tails

• climbing salamanders

• found in trees and on tree trunks

Aneides flavipunctatus

• Black salamander

• Black on back and belly, white or yellow flecks

• toe tips rounded.

Aneides lugubris

• Arboreal salamander.

• Brown above sometimes with yellow spots

• white belly

Aneides lugubris

Aneides vagrans

Aneides vagrans

• Wandering salamander

• Clouded above with mottled pattern of gray, gold or red.

• Found south of Smith River, where it intergrades with A.
  ferreus, and British Columbia

A. flavipunctatus

A. lugubris

A. vagrans

Rhacophoridae - Common Tree Frog

Ascaphidae Family

-Tailed frogs

-Males have "tail"
(intromittent organ for
internal fertilization

-prepubis not fused to
the pelvis, nine
presacral vertebra

Ascaphus truei - Ascaphidae

Coastal tailed frog. Dark eye stripe, lacks toe pads, males have
“tail”.

Pipidae

Really flat, totally aquatic,
long legs, long webbed toes
with clawlike tips

Tongueless frogs.

Africa and South
America

Xenopus laevis

African clawed frog (INTRODUCED species). Flattened body and
head, lidless eyes, claws on hind feet, hind feet fully webbed.

Xenopus laevis

Bombinatoridae Family

Fire-bellied Toads
Europe, Asia

Bright orange or blue belly
in our specimens