Salamander Families (Lecture and Lab Overlap)

Family Cryptobranchidae

• 2 genera, 4 sp
• NA and China & Japan
• Cryptobranchus in NA
• Andrias in China and Japan
• Paedomorphic - Lack eyelids and retain lateral line​​​​​​​
• Body and head dorsolateral flattened
• Aquatic bottom walkers in cold mountain streams
• Skin heavily folded for cutaneous respiration
• M construct nests under rocks in streams or in river bank tunnels
• External fertilization
• Feed on aquatic inverts by unique asymmetrical suction mechanism
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Family Hynobiidae

• 9 genera, 80+ sp
• Asia, temperate subarctic and mountain species
• External fertilization (one exception)
• Most have free swimming larva that undergo complete metamorphosis
• Mostly terrestrial, one sp is aquatic and lungless
• Ecological equivalent of NA Ambystomids
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Family Sirenidae

• 2 genera, 5 sp
• Many cryptic species may exist
• SE US
• Skeletal anatomy suggests basal to other salamanders
• Entirely aquatic, paedomorphic
• Tiny front limbs with 4 toes, no hindlimbs
• Prominent external gills
• Probably external fertilization
• Eggs deposited in small clumps on submerged veg
• Often filter feed but also capture individual prey
• ​​​​​​​Horny beak instead of premaxillary teeth
• Cocoon in layers of epidermal cells during drought, slowing metabolism
• Occur in slow-moving waters
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Family Amphiumidae

• 1 genus, 3 sp
• SE US
• Elongate, obligatory paedomorphic, aquatic burrowers
• Tiny limbs, no external gills, no eyelids
• Work bottom much and tangles of aquatic systems
• Fertilization by cloaca-cloaca transfer of spermatophore
• Eggs deposited on damp land; FM guards
• Retain pedicellate teeth, have 4 limbs, lack external gills
• Nocturnal, move overland during rain
• Aquatic larvae with gills
• Aestivate during drought
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