The life history of the average frog is known by every school child, but for some unknown reason rather less seems to be known about the biology of the tailed amphibians. In this book we are not so concerned with the internal anatomy and physiology of the caudates as with their behavioral biology. In order to keep them alive in our terraria and encourage them to reproduce, it is most important that we know what makes them tick and what influences their breeding cycles.
Let us first endeavor to explain the differences between “salamanders” and “newts.” There is no hard and fast distinction between the two types, and species commonly called salamanders may even belong to the same family. The term salamander, however, may be safely applied to all of the caudates, while newt is normally applied to certain semi-aquatic species which live on land from late summer through winter but enter water in the spring to breed; male newts often have elaborate breeding dress and courtship behavior. In Europe the newts are represented most commonly by salamanders of the genus Triturus, in North America by members of the genera Notophthalmus and Taricha, and in Asia by Cynops, Paramesotriton, Tylototriton, and others.
The salamanders and newts of the order Caudata comprise some 350 species belonging to eight families. They are found in North and South America (with a preponderance of species in the north), in Europe and North Africa, and in Asia, predominantly in the north temperate zones. They are absent from tropical parts of Asia and Africa and do not occur at all in Australasia.
The salamanders have a soft, moist skin, rather long bodies, and well developed tails. As the body regions are distinct and the front and hind legs are usually of similar size and well developed, salamanders are often mistaken for lizards. However, on closer examination it will be seen that they lack the scaly skin, claws, and external ear openings of the lizards. All salamanders (sirens are partially herbivorous) and their larvae are carnivorous. The smaller species feed upon insects and other available invertebrates, but the largest ones can take any small vertebrate they can overpower, including fish, and frogs.
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