Global Salamander Diversity

Family:
Largest living amphibians
Asia & NA
Aquatic
Laterally compressed tail
Head flattened, lateral fold along body
Vestigial lungs
External fertilization
Ventral cloacal glands
Lay eggs in communal dens, and multiple paternity is suspected

What are the paedomorphic traits that characterize Cryptobranchidae?

Family:
Small to medium
Heavy bodied, thick tails, well-developed limbs
Terrestrial or aquatic
Relictual pops in Asia and 1 in Eur
Lack gills, gill slits, and nasolabial grooves
Have eyelids and costal grooves
Generally well dev lungs
External fertilization, aquatic larvae which are sometimes cannibalistic
Eggs in gelatinous sacs attached to things (diagnostic character)

Family:
SE Na and Miss RV
Obligate neotenic/paedomorphic
External gills, gill slits
Small forelimbs, no hindlimbs, no pelvic girdle
Permanently aquatic
Aestivate in burrows, nocturnal
Fert is external, female guards eggs

Family:
NA
Burrowers, breed in ephemeral pools
Mostly terrestrial, some completely aquatic
Have eyelids, costal grooves, lungs, gular fold
Nasolabial groove absent
Internal fert.
Polyploidy and gynogenetic lineages from ancient hybrids
Variation in life cycle
Migrations

Family:
Pacific NW
Con forests with cold streams
Terrestrial (except breeding)
Heavy bodies and compressed tails
No nosolabial grooves
Gular fold and costal grooves present
Small lungs
Facultative metamorphosis
Internal fertilization with spermatophores

Family:
Eur, N Af, Asia, NA
Habitat and life cycle varies
Aposematic coloring and secretions (+unken response)
Eyelids and lungs present
Costal grooves present but indistinct
No nasolabial grooves
Internal fertilization with spermatophore
Viviparous and oviparous
Granular skin in terrestrial morphs

Describe the life cycle of the Salamandridae species Notophthalmus viridescens

Family:
E NA, E Adriatic coast of Eur
Totally aquatic, nocturnal
3 Pairs of external gills
Tail fin
Paedomorphic: 2 gill slits, no eyelids
No maxillary bones
2-4 fore and hind toes
Internal fertilization
Diploid chr # of 38

Family:
Endemic to Pacific NW
Coniferous old growths
Semiaquatic
No ext gills or gill slits
Eyelids, costal grooves present
Nasolabial grooves absent
Males have unique squared off glands posterior vent
Internal fertilization
Reduced lungs

Family:
SE US endemics
Aquatic
Heavy bodied, eel-like
Four poorly developed limbs
Paedomorphic: eyelids and tongue absent, internal gills and gill slits
Costal grooves and lungs present
No external gills or nasolabial grooves
Internal fertilization
Aestivation