Caudata Flashcards
Sirenidae: Siren Intermedia
- No Rear limbs
- External gills
- Reduced front limbs
- Laterally compressed tail
- Large massesters
- Long eel like body
- Obligate paedomorphosis
- Larvae often with bold patterns
Amphiumidae: Amphiuma tridactylum
- Four small limbs
- Long eel like body
- no external gills in adults
- Tail laterally compressed
- Obligate paedomorphosis
- Common name corresponds to number of digits
Cryptobranchidae: Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
Eastern Hellbender
- large body size
- dorsoventrally compressed body
- laterally compressed tail
- reduced eyes, loose skin
- Keratinized toe tips
- Incomplete metamorphosis
Proteidae: Necturus maculosus
Mudpuppy
- External, red bushy gills
- laterally compressed tail
- Dorso-ventrally compressed body
- Dark bar on snout
- 4 toes on hind feets
- Speckeled ventral region
- Obligate paedomorphosis
Salamandridae: Notopthalmus viridescens
Eastern Newt
- Red spots on sides
- No costal grooves
- Laterally compressed tail (aquatic phase)
- Aposematic coloration
- Rough, granular skin
- Partial paedomorphosis
Plethodontidae: Hemidactylium scutatum
Four-Toed Salamander
- Rusty brown dorsum
- White ventral region with black speckling
- 4 toes on each foot
- Caudal autotomy indicated by constriction at base of tail
Plethodontidae: Desmognathus ochrophaeus
Allegheny My. Dusky Salamander
- Tail not keeled beyond midpoint (if at all)
- Often with chevron shaped marking down the middle of the back
- Some individuals have 2-7 paired spots down the middle of the back
Plethodontidae: Desmognathus conanti
Spotted dusky salamander
- Tail keeled at midpoint; triangular in cross section
- Toe tips without dark friction pads (not cornified)
- Remnants of larval dorsal spotting still evident and usaullt not fused into straight-edged band
Plethodontidae: Desmognathus fuscus
Northern Dusky Salamander
- Tail keeled at midpoint; triangular in cross section
- Toe tips not cornified
- Remnants of dorsal spotting still evident, usually fused into straight-edged band
- Looks just like conanti
Plethodontidae: Desmognathus monticola
Seal Salamander
- Toe tips cornified
- Tail rounded on anterior third
- venter white/light gray, sharp contrast with dark dorsum
- Bold dorsal patterns
- Underside of tail diffusely blotched
Plethodontidae: Desmognathus welteri
Black Mountain Salamander
- Toe tips cornified
- Tail laterally compressed near base
- Venter brownish and heavily mottled
- Dorsum often drab/patternless
Plethodontidae: Aneides aeneus
Green Salamander
- Square, expanded toe tips
- Tail not laterally compressed
- Dorsum with metallic greenish or gold spots
- Head and body distinctively flattened, limbs overlapping when adpressed
Plethodontidae: Gyrinophilus porphyriticus
Spring Salamander
- Large body size
- Square shaped snout
- Light line extending from eyes to nostrils (canthus rostralis)
- Body color salmon, reddish, brownish
- Keeled tail
Plethodontidae: Pseudotriton ruber
Northern Red Salamander
- Vivid red or orange with many irregular black spots; color fades with age
- Eyes yellow; “Mustache”
- Large body size
- Snout roundes, no canthus rostralis
Plethodontidae: Pseudotriton montanus
Northern Red Salamander 2
- Vivid red/ organge with black spots; color fades with age
- fewer, rounder dorsal spots than ruber
- Eyes brown; “no mustache”
- Large body size
- Snout rounded, no canthus rostralis
Plethodontidae: Eurycea cirrigera
Southern Two-lined Salamander
- Elongate body, tail triangular in cross section
- Ywllow dorsal coloration with two distinct lines, often with mid-dorsal row of spots
- Tail laterally compressed
- Males with elongate cirri (nasolabial grooves)
Plethodontidae: Eurycea lucifuga
Cave Salamander
- Conspicuously long, prehensile tail
- Dorsum yellowish reddisht to orangish
- Spots do not form distinct lines, more diffuse than longicauda
- No herringbone pattern on sides of tails
Plethodontidae: Eurycea guttolineata
Three-lined Salamander
- Light yellow to tan body with three bold black stripes running from eye to tail
- Never just spots down midline of the back
Plethodontidae: Eurycea longicauda
Long-tailed Salamander
- Noticeably long tail
- varied coloration
- Spots can form broken lines on sides, but not down middle of the back
- Often hettignbon pattern on sides of tail
Plethodontidae: Plethodon dorsalis
Northern Zigzag Salamander
- Dorsal stripe with serrated edges; white flecking on sides
- Dimorphic: “light phase” light brown, reddish strip with zigzag border
- Dark phase darker brown, lacking stripe
- Belly orange-red mottling
- 18 costal grooves
Plethodontidae: Plethodon cinereus
Eastern Red-backed Slamander
- dorsal stripe with straight edges; white flecking on sides
- Dimorphic
- Redback phase- reddish strip with straight border
- Leadback phase- brownish no stripe
- Belly white-gray mottling
- 18-20 costal grooves
Plethodontidae: Plethodon richmondi
Ravine Salamander
- Brassy flecking on dark dorsum
- Very elongate body with relatively short legs
- Venter dark/plain
- 20-21 costal grooves
Plethodontidae: Plethodon wehrlei
Wehrle’s Salamander
- Dorsal color varies from brassy flecking to paired spots to immaculate
- Hindfeet strongly webbed
- Scattered white spots on sides, possibly dorsum
- Grey belly with throat and upper chest blotched with white or yellow
- 17 costal grooves
Plethodontidae: Plethodon kentucki
Cumberland Plateau Salamander
- Larger than many other KY plethodontids
- Black with white flecking that is fewer/smaller than glutinosus
- Chin lighter than belly
- Pointed snout relative to glutinosus
Plethodontidae: Plethodon glutinosus
- Larger than many KY plethodontids
- Black with white flecking that is larger/more numerous than kentucki
- Chin not lighter than belly: rounder snout relative to glutinosus
- Sticky secretions produced when stressed
Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma opacum
Marbled Salamander
- Silver/white ladder pattern on black background
- Tail not laterally compressed
- relatively small head/ body compared to other ambystomatids
Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma maculatum
- Grey, brown, or black base color with paired lined or orange/yellow spots
- often whitish flecking on sides
- Tail not typically laterally compressed until tip
Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma tigrinum
Eastern Tiger Salamander
- Tail strongly laterally compressed
- Larger than most other ambystomatids
- Extra bulgy eyes
- Pointed toes
- May have yellow spots, but not in two straight lines
Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma barbouri
Streamside Salamander
- Snout short and head small relative to other ambystomatids
- Lower jaw projects beyond upper
- Internaral distance >2.5 mm
- Tail keeled
- Eggs laid singly in streams
Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma texanum
Smallmouth Salamander
- Snout short and head small relative to other ambystomatids
- Lower jaw projects beyond upper
- Internaral distance <2.5 mm
- Tail keeled
- Eggs lain in masses in ponds
Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma talpoideum
- Less elongate body than barbouri and texanum
- Tail strongly laterally compressed
- Short body, wide head
- Often bluish flecking covering the body
- Facultatative paedomorphosis
Ambystomatidae: Ambystoma jeffersonianum
Jefferson Salamander
- Tail laterally compressed
- Snout more elongate than texanum or barbouri
- Large body size
- Blue flecking often on sides
- Long toes
- Lower jaw does not potrude as in barbouri or texanum
