World Salamanders & Caecilians

Ubiquitous except Greenland, Australia, Indonesia, and most of Africa

Order Caudata distribution

Cryptobranchidae

family that

• contains the largest salamanders

• has small eyes

• has baggy skin

• 2 genera, 4 spp.

• flat, large, shovel-like skulls

hellbender

example of Cryptobranchidae

Cryptobranchidae

Which family has the giant salamanders?

Hynobiidae

Which family has the Asian salamanders?

Hynobiidae

family

• pretty speciose, ~87 spp.

• slender, long tail

• basic-looking salamanders

• specimen has a broken tail

Asia, Japan, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Iran

What is the range of family Hynobiidae?

Sirenidae

Which family has

• no hind limbs

• 5 spp

• adults that may have external gills

• keratinized beak

• external fertilization

Sirenidae

Which family has the sirens?

Gulf Coast & Midwest US

What is the range of Sirenidae?

Salamandridae

Which family has the true salamanders?

Salamandridae

What family has

• toxic skin secretions

• bright colors

• rough skin when terrestrial

• smooth skin when aquatic

Europe, North Africa, parts of Asia, Japan, West Coast of N America, gulf coast & East coast

Range of Salamandridae

Dicamptodontidae

Which family has the Pacific giant salamanders?

Dicamptodontidae

Which family

• has 4 spp

• is brown with mottled black

• internal fertilization

PNW, CA to S Canada, Rocky Mountains

Range of Dicamptodontidae

Ambystomatidae

Which family has the mole salamanders?

Ambystomatidae

Which family

• is moderately sized

• has smooth skin

• has a robust body

• is chunky

• has 32 spp

• has a short, blunt head

• has costal grooves

• spends most of the year underground

N America

What is the range of Ambystomatidae?

Proteidae

Which family

• has a caudal fin (laterally compressed tail)

• 6 spp, 2 genera

• paedomorphs with external gills

• hind legs

E US & Canada, E coast of Adriatic Sea

What is the range of Proteidae?

PNW

What is the range of Rhyacotritonidae?

Rhyacotritonidae

What family

• has a small range

• 1 genus, 4 spp

• square cloaca in males

• very large eyes

• is small (<6 cm)

Amphiumidae

Which family

• is eel like

• has incomplete metamorphosis, no external gills

• has back legs

• very small legs

• a derpy face

• 1 genus, 3 spp

Proteidae

Which family has the mudpuppies?

Rhyacotritonidae

Which family has the torrent salamanders?

Plethodontidae

Which family has the lungless salamanders?

Gulf & E Coast, Mississippi River

What is the range of Amphiumidae?

Plethodontidae

What family

• is long & slender

• has 28 genera, 479 spp

• direct development

• no lungs

• nasolabial groove

  • internal fertilization

W & E N America, Korea, S America, Europe

Range of Plethodontidae

Plethodontidae

What is the largest salamander family?

pantropical

Caecilians have what kind of distribution?

Gymnophiona

What group has

• no limbs or limb girdles

• annuli

• greatly reduced tails

• internal fertilization

Amphiumidae

Rhyacotritonidae

Proteidae

Dicamptodontidae

Dicamptodontidae

Ambystomatidae

Ambystomatidae

Cryptobranchidae

Hynobiidae

Sirenidae

Salamandridae

Salamandridae

Caecilian

Plethodontidae

Plethodontidae

Plethodontidae

Cryptobranchidae

Hynobiidae

Sirenidae

Salamandridae

Dicamptodontidae

Ambystomatidae

Proteidae

Rhyacotritonidae

Amphiumidae

Plethodontidae

Caecilidae

coastal grooves

What anatomical feature is on the sides of salamanders to increase SA, keep them moist, and distribute water over the body?

Sirenidae

Cryptobranchidae

Hynobiidae

example of a salamander family with external fertilization

Plethodontidae, amphiumidae, Rhyacotritonidae, Proteidae, Salamandridae, Dicamptodontidae, Ambystomatidae

example of a salamander family with internal fertilization

Cryptobranchidae

Hynobiidae

Sirenidae

Salamandridae

Dicamptodontidae

Ambystomatidae

Proteidae

Rhyacotritonidae

Amphiumidae

Plethodontidae

Gymnophiona