>>Thanks for the help! I'm familiar with the typical swollen cloaca of male newts & salamanders, but these things really look like they have testicles hanging, not even a hemipenal bulge.
>>
>>I found out that they came from Texas. Can't get more information from the wholesaler than that, unfortunately.
>>
>>Would the fact that two of them that I've seen now have these swollen cloacas imply that they might be from a neotenic locality? I've been reading that certain groups of these are neotenic, and I'd like to think that maybe it's these guys here. On the other hand, it also makes me think that maybe rather than being neotenic, they getting close to metamorphosizing. Any ideas?
>>
>>thanks again,
>>Ronnie

These larvae looks like they are neotenic, since they are so big. And of course the swollen cloaca is a sign of sexual maturity. Neotenic salamanders, however, do occasionally transform and become terrestrial adults. Those that do aren't going to look like the typical barred tiger salamanders found in Texas. A sure sign that they are about to metamorphose is the gills. If the gills start shrinking and disappearing, then they are getting ready to transform to the terrestrial stage.

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