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Respiration differs among the different species of salamanders, and can involve gills, lungs, skin, and the membranes of mouth and throat. Larval salamanders breathe primarily by means of gills, which are usually external and feathery in appearance. Water is drawn in through the mouth and flows out through the gill slits.
Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] With over 500 species, lungless salamanders are by far the largest family of salamanders in terms of their diversity. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere , from British Columbia to Brazil.
Once fully metamorphosed, they leave the water and live a terrestrial life, when they are known as "efts." [12] [13] Only when the eft reaches adulthood will the North American species return to live in water, rarely venturing back onto the land. Conversely, most European species live their adult lives on land and only visit water to breed. [14]
These salamanders can also be found under rocks or gravel, within aquatic vegetation, and algae. [4] Barton Springs salamanders can live in water depths ranging from 0.1 to 5 metres (0.33 to 16.40 ft). [4] The springs in which these salamanders inhabit flow year-round and retain a constant temperature of around 20 °C (68 °F). [1]
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The southern two-lined salamander is a small thin salamander, distinguished by the two lines running down the lateral portion of its body. The salamander is deep-light brown and fairly small, growing up to 6.5–12 cm in length. The species has 14 costal grooves between its limbs. [3]
The blackbelly salamander spends more time in water than all other members of the genus except the shovelnose salamander (Desmognathus marmoratus). [5] It mainly forages on land and has a home range of at least 1,200 square centimetres (190 square inches) but seldom travels more than 30 centimetres (12 in) from the stream. [5]
Unlike other salamanders, whose larvae are developed in water, the alpine salamander and its subspecies are a fully terrestrial species in life and gestation. [8] They give birth to live young. [9] Alpine salamanders produce toxic compounds from their skin. [8] These compounds may protect them from both predator and microbial threats. [10] [11 ...