Salamandridae

(vertebrate zoology) A family of urodele amphibians in the suborder Salamandroidea characterized by a long row of prevomerine teeth.

(Salamandridae)

Class: Amphibia

Order: Caudata

Suborder: Salamandroidea

Family: Salamandridae

Thumbnail description
Long, slender body with long tail and well-developed limbs

Size
3–14 in (7–35 cm)

Number of genera, species
15 genera; 59 species

Habitat
Damp places close to ponds and streams, where breeding takes place

Conservation status
Critically Endangered: 1 species; Vulnerable: 5 species; Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent: 1 species; Data Deficient: 4 species

Distribution
Discontinuous across the Northern Hemisphere

Evolution and systematics

Salamandrids originated in the late Cretaceous or early Paleocene in Europe and later dispersed to Asia and North America. The oldest fossil salamandrids come from the Cenozoic in Europe.

The family is sometimes divided into three groups: (1) the Salamandra group (Chioglossa, Mertensiella, Salamandra, and Salamandrina), (2) the Triturus group (Cynops, Euproctus, Neurergus, Notophthalmus, Pachytriton, Paramesotriton, Taricha, and Triturus), and (3) Pleurodeles and Tylototriton.

Physical characteristics

Variable in size and appearance, most salamandrids have a long, slender, flexible body and a long tail. The limbs are well developed. Many salamandrids develop dorsal body and tail fins when they enter water. There are four toes on the fore-limbs and four or five on the hind limbs. The skin usually is rough, except in the aquatic phase, in which the skin becomes smooth, thin, and slimy, serving as a route by which oxygen is taken up from water. In the aquatic phase, the skin is shed frequently. Newts often are seen eating the discarded skin. Many species have well-developed skin glands, which often are large and prominent on the head (parotid glands). There are no costal grooves on the body. All salamandrids have toxic or distasteful skin secretions. Many of these animals are brightly colored and have distinctive defensive postures. The eyelids are moveable. Lungs are present in juveniles and adults; larvae have feathery external gills.

There is no simple way to differentiate newts and salamanders. All members of the Salamandridae are salamanders, but species that spend a prolonged period each year living in water and becoming temporarily adapted to life in water are called newts. Newts include the European Triturus species, Notophthalmus and Taricha in North America, and Cynops in eastern Asia.

Some populations of some species of salamandrids are paedomorphic, meaning they become sexually mature adults while retaining a number of larval features, such as external gills and a large, finned tail. Adults do not become terrestrial but remain in water throughout life. Paedomorphosis occurs in some European (Triturus) species and in the three North American (Notophthalmus) species. Why some populations of these species are paedomorphic is not known.

Distribution

Fragmented in Northern Hemisphere, including western and eastern North America, Europe, Asia, north Africa, and Japan.

Habitat

Salamandrids are found in a variety of habitats, including woodland, grassland, and heath. In the terrestrial phase, salamandrids need damp conditions and are generally confined to dense vegetation or crevices under rocks and logs, where conditions remain moist at the drier times of year. Because the larvae are aquatic, all salamandrids need water for reproduction. Many breed in ponds; some breed in larger lakes and others in mountain streams. The larvae are vulnerable to predation, and many salamandrids thrive best in ponds that dry up during the summer, because these ponds cannot support populations of fish, dragonfly larvae, and other aquatic predators.

Behavior

Little is known about the behavior of salamandrids during the greater part of the time they live on land, because they are rarely seen. At least some species, notably the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) have highly developed powers of orientation that enable them to return to breeding ponds each spring. This involves the ability to detect at least one aspect of the environment that provides directional information, including smell, the position of the sun, the pattern of light polarization in the sky, and the direction of the magnetic field of the earth.

The most striking and best-studied aspect of salamandrid behavior is mating. Salamandrids achieve internal fertilization with spermatophores. During mating, the male deposits a spermatophore close to the female and then places, pushes, or entices her over it, so that the sperm is taken up into her cloaca. The female stores the sperm in special storage organs called spermathecae. The female thus controls when and where she lays the eggs.

There is much diversity among species in the behavior that accompanies sperm transfer. Many male salamandrids restrain the female before and during sperm transfer. This behavior involves grasping the female, a behavior called amplexus. European newts (Triturus) do not exhibit amplexus. Unable to constrain the female or to control her movements, the male European newt must attract the female with the intensity and complexity of his displays. Physical differences in appearance between the sexes (sexual dimorphism) are much more marked in Triturus species than in any other tailed amphibians.

Indirect sperm transfer by means of a spermatophore has two interesting consequences. First, it is unreliable; in some species, many spermatophores are missed by females. Second, rival males can interfere. For example, in several species rival males mimic female behavior, eliciting spermatophores that are not found by females. Much of the diversity and complexity in salamandrid sexual behavior can be interpreted as adaptations that increase the reliability of sperm transfer or that counteract sexual interference (sexual defense). For example, Taricha males defend females by picking them up and carrying them away if a rival male approaches.

Chemical communication is important in salamandrid mating. Males have glands that produce courtship pheromones. In some species the pheromones are carried on the head; in others they open into the cloaca. Male pheromones alter the hormonal state of the female, making her receptive to males.

Feeding ecology and diet

All salamandrids feed on small invertebrate prey, including insects, earthworms, slugs, and snails. In the aquatic phase, newts feed on aquatic insects and are voracious predators of frog tadpoles. Feeding under water requires changes in the shape of the eye for seeing prey and of the mouth for sucking prey into the mouth. In the aquatic phase, newts develop lateral line organs in the skin. These organs enable the newt to direct tiny water currents and thus locate moving prey, even in the dark or in muddy water. Larval salamandrids eat small invertebrates, such as water fleas.

Reproductive biology

Most salamandrids are terrestrial as adults but migrate to water to breed. In terms of life history, salamandrids are a diverse family. The species vary greatly in the proportion of life spent in water and on land. Newts that lay eggs singly (e.g., Triturus and Notophthalmus) have long breeding seasons because it takes many weeks for a female to lay all her eggs. In contrast, female Taricha lay eggs in clusters and spend little time in the water.

Four European salamandrids are viviparous. That is, the eggs are retained in the female's body, where they develop into large larvae or, in some instances, miniature adults. Viviparous salamandrids have small clutches, so only a small proportion of eggs complete development. In the Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella luschani) only two, fully developed young are born after a gestation period of three or four years. The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), alpine salamander (S. atra), and Lanza's alpine salamander (S. lanzai) also are viviparous.

Conservation status

Most salamandrids are threatened by loss of habitat as the result of deforestation, urbanization, and intensive agriculture. Some species can coexist with humans where agriculture takes a traditional form, involving the creation of hedgerows and of ponds for livestock. Modern agricultural methods, however, are disastrous for amphibians. Ponds are filled in, hedges are torn up, and pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers kill amphibians.

The IUCN 2002 Red List includes 11 species. One species, Euproctus platycephalus, is categorized as Critically Endangered. Five are listed as Vulnerable; one as Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent; and four as Data Deficient.

Significance to humans

Because they taste bad or are toxic, salamandrids are not eaten by humans. Several species are popular as pets, in which context they are well known for the ability to escape from all but the most secure aquarium or terrarium.

Species accounts

Resources

Griffiths, R. A. Newts and Salamanders of Europe. London: T. & A. D. Poyser, 1996.

Petranka, J. W. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998.

[Article by: Tim R. Halliday, PhD]

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: salamanders
  Synonym: family Salamandridae

True Salamanders and Newts
Notophthalmus viridescens from North America
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Caudata
Family:	Salamandridae Goldfuss, 1820
Genera
Calotriton   Chioglossa   Cynops   Echinotriton   Euproctus   Lissotriton   Lyciasalamandra   Mertensiella   Mesotriton   Neurergus   Notophthalmus   Ommatotriton   Pachytriton   Paramesotriton   Pleurodeles   Salamandra   Salamandrina   Taricha   Triturus   Tylototriton

Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. There are currently 74 species (with more expected) spread all over the northern hemisphere - Europe, Asia, the northern tip of Africa and North America. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of the body, and usually have rough skin.

Salamandrids generally have patterns of bright and contrasting colours, although there are a few exceptions. They have four well-developed limbs, with four toes on the forelimbs, and (in most cases) five toes on the hindlimbs. They vary from 7 centimetres (2.8 in) to 30 centimetres (12 in) in length.^[1]

The Alpine salamander and Lanza's fire salamander give birth to live young, without a tadpole stage, but the other species lay their eggs in water. Some newts are neotenic, being able to reproduce before they are fully metamorphosed.^[1]

Taxonomy

The genera Chioglossa, Lyciasalamandra, Mertensiella and Salamandra are grouped in the subfamily Salamandrinae, the rest in Pleurodelinae.^[2] Those with a more thoroughly aquatic lifestyle are referred to as "newts", but this is not a formal taxonomic description.

Family SALAMANDRIDAE

• Subfamily Pleurodelinae
  • Genus Calotriton (Spanish Brook Newts) - 2 species
    • Montseny Brook Newt (Calotriton arnoldii)
    • Pyrenean Brook Newt (Calotriton asper)
  • Genus Cynops (Fire Belly Newts) - 7 species
    • Chenggong Fire Belly Newt (Cynops chenggongensis )
    • Chuxiong Fire-Bellied Newt (Cynops cyanurus)
    • Japanese Sword-Tailed Newt (Cynops ensicauda)
    • Chinese Fire Belly Newt (Cynops orientalis)
    • Dayang Fire Belly newt (Cynops orphicus)
    • Japanese Fire Belly Newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster)
    • Yunnan Lake Newt (Cynops wolterstorffi)
  • Genus Echinotriton (Crocodile Newts) -2 species
    • Anderson's Crocodile Newt (Echinotriton andersoni)
    • Chinhai Spiny Newt (Echinotriton chinhaiensis)
  • Genus Euproctus (Brook Salamanders) -3 species
    • Pyrenean Brook Salamander (Euproctus asper)
    • Corsican Brook Salamander (Euproctus montanus)
    • Sardinian Brook Salamander (Euproctus platycephalus)
  • Genus Lissotriton (Small bodied Newts) - 5 species
    • Bosca's Newt (Lissotriton boscai)
    • Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)
    • Italian Newt (Lissotriton italicus)
    • Carpathian Newt (Lissotriton montandoni)
    • Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)
  • Genus Mesotriton (Alpine Newts) - 1 species
    • Alpine Newt (Mesotriton alpestris)
  • Genus Neurergus (Spotted Newts) - 4 species
    • Yellow-Spotted Newt (Neurergus crocatus)
    • Kaiser's Spotted Newt (Neurergus kaiseri)
    • Kurdistan Spotted Newt (Neurergus microspilotus)
    • Strauch's Spotted Newt (Neurergus strauchii)
  • Genus Notophthalmus (Eastern Newts) - 3 species
    • Black-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis)
    • Striped Newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus)
    • Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
  • Genus Ommatotriton (Banded Newts) - 2 species
    • Northern Banded Newt (Ommatotriton ophryticus)
    • Southern Banded Newt (Ommatotriton vittatus)
  • Genus Pachytriton (Paddle-Tail Newts) - 2 species (with 4 more to be evaluated)
    • Spotted Paddle-Tail Newt (Pachytriton brevipes)
    • Paddle-Tail Newt (Pachytriton labiatus)
    • probably 4 more species not yet described completely. Known as Pachytriton A, B,C & D.
  • Genus Paramesotriton (Warty Newts) -7 species
    • Spot-Tailed Warty Newt (Paramesotriton caudopunctatus)
    • Chinese Warty Newt (Paramesotriton chinensis)
    • Tam Dao Warty Newt (Paramesotriton deloustali)
    • Wanggao Warty Newt (Paramesotriton fuzhongensis)
    • Guangxi Warty Newt (Paramesotriton guanxiensis)
    • Hong Kong Warty Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis)
    • Laos Warty Newt (Paramesotriton laoensis)
  • Genus Pleurodeles (Ribbed Newts) - 3 species
    • Algerian Ribbed Newt(Pleurodeles nebulosus)
    • Edough Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles poireti)
    • Spanish Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl)
  • Genus Salamandrina (Spectacled Salamanders) -2 species
    • Southern Spectacled Salamander (Salamandrina terdigitata)
    • Northern Spectacled Salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata)
  • Genus Taricha (Western Newts / Pacific Newts) - 3 species
    • Rough-Skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa)
    • Red-Bellied Newt (Taricha rivularis)
    • California Newt (Taricha torosa)
  • Genus Triturus (Crested Newts) -7species
    • Italian Crested Newt (Triturus carnifex)
    • Northern Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)
    • Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus)
    • Southern Crested Newt (Triturus karelinii)
    • Marbled Newt (Triturus marmoratus)
    • Pygmy Marbled Newt (Triturus pygmaeus)
  • Genus Tylototriton (Crocodile Newts) - 8 species
    • Black Knobby Newt (Tylototriton asperrimus)
    • Hainan Knobby Newt (Tylototriton hainanensis)
    • Red-Tailed Knobby Newt (Tylototriton kweichowensis)
    • Mandarin Newt (Tylototriton shanjing)
    • Taliang Knobby Newt (Tylototriton taliangensis)
    • Himalayan Crocodile Newt (Tylototriton verrucosus)
    • Vietnamese Crocodile Newt (Tylototriton vietnamensis)
    • Wenxian Knobby Newt (Tylototriton wenxianensis)
• Subfamily Salamandrinae
  • Genus Chioglossa - 1 species
    • Gold-Striped Salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica)
  • Genus Lyciasalamandra - 7 species
    • Anatolia Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra anatlyana)
    • Atif's Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra atifi)
    • Bay Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra billae)
    • Fazil Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra fizilae)
    • Marmaris Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra flavimembris)
    • Karpathos Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra helverseni)
    • Luschan's Salamander (Lyciasalamandra luschani)
  • Genus Mertensiella - 1 species
    • Caucasian Salamander (Mertensiella caucasica)
  • Genus Salamandra (Fire Salamanders) - 6 species
    • Algerian Fire Salamander (Salamandra algira)
    • Alpine Salamander (Salamandra atra)
    • Corsican Fire Salamander (Salamandra corsica)
    • Near Eastern Fire Salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata)
    • Lanza's Fire Salamander (Salamandra lanzai)
    • Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra)

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Lanza, B., Vanni, S., & Nistri, A. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 73–74. ISBN 0-12-178560-2. 
2. ^ http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/references.php?id=27224

External links

• Information related to Salamandridae from Wikispecies.

• Media related to Salamandridae at Wikimedia Commons
• Tree of Life: Salamandridae
• Living Under World
• Tylototriton.org

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