Transcript Slide 1
Ambystomatidae Range •Widely distributed from southern Canada down to southern Mexico. Taxonomy 2 genera, 32 – 37 species (depends on reference) Ambystoma Rhyacosiredon (four species) Dicamtodontidae ( four species, sometimes considered separate family) Common family name: Mole Salamanders Paedomorphic •Some species are paedomorphic, some are terrestrial and some species will have populations exhibiting both characteristics. Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum Dicamtodontidae •Considered by some to be its own family •Four species •Commonly know as Pacific giant Salamanders D. tenebrosus, pacific giant salamander Morphology •Adults •Robust bodies and limbs •Short, blunt heads •Small eyes •Prominent costal grooves •Laterally flattened tail Habitat • Terrestrial adults live under cover objects and in animal burrows in the forest •Paedomorphs and larvae stage salamanders live in ponds and slow streams Ambystoma opacum , marbled salamander Ambystoma tigrinum, tiger salamander Reproduction • fertilization is internal •Most species breed in the spring • Tiger And Marbled salamanders breed in the fall. Ambystoma jeffersonianum, Jefferson salamander Ambystoma opacum , marbled salamander Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) Ambystoma tigrinum, Tiger salamander sources http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2008/01/ifs_clade.php http://www.tolweb.org/Ambystomatidae http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/bio/amph/main/ambyfam.htm