Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the most unusual species of salamander?
I am just curious.

Thank you.

That depends on what you find most interesting.

The most morphologically odd salamanders are probably the pigmentless, spindle-legged, shovel-nosed obligate cave-dwellers like the olm (Proteus anguinus) of Europe and some of the brook salamander (Eurycea) species of the southern U.S.; Eurycea (Typhlomolge) rathbuni and Eurycea (Haideotriton) wallacei are particularly specialized. The eel-like, tiny-legged, swamp-dwelling amphiumas and sirens of southeastern North America and the giant, flattened, wrinkly-skinned hellbenders of east Asia and the eastern US are also quite odd. All of the above-mentioned salamanders are paedomorphs, which retain larval characterisitics throughout their lives and never fully metamorphose.

If you're more interested in physiology, the Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra) is quite odd; the female mates, is pregnant for two years, then bears two live young.

Genetically speaking, the mole salamander hybrid complex (Ambystoma species) of northeastern North America is very strange. Salamanders with 3, 4, or even 5 full sets of chromosomes (instead of the usual 2 sets) from four different parental species exist across a broad area; they are all female, and many of them must mate with males of another species to lay eggs, but usually do not use his genetic material; instead, the young are clones of their mother. Even stranger, the mitochondrial DNA of these hybrids apparently does not come from any of the parental species, but instead from an unknown species whose nuclear genome has vanished.

There are other unusual salamanders, but this should be enough to get you started!

Thank you.
That was very interesting, especially the gynogenetic polyploid females.
If you know more, I would love to know them

My vote and personal favorite would have to be the unsusual, interestingly skined, and just plain impressive based on size; "hellbender"
Opinions vary, but you "gotta" love the Cryptobranchus alleganiensis.
Jeff
-----
Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
0.2 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus

I think they are cute

WOW that genetic stuff is trippy. Any idea where I can read up more on it? I'm hardly a real herpetologist but that's just so freaking weird.

>>What is the most unusual species of salamander?
>>I am just curious.
>>
>>Thank you.

Most salamanders look similar. They have 2 pairs of legs and a tail. Therefore the Sirens are quite unusual since they only have a pair of front legs but no rear legs.

Another salamander that is unusual is the Ribbed Newt, Pleuordeles waltl. It has sharp ribs that can pierce the skin and the poison glands in the skin. That is a unique and effective defense against potential predators.

A third unusual species is the Pacific Giant Salamander. It is capable of producing a barking sound when annoyed. Salamanders are often called water dogs by people who are not scientists or naturalists. The Pacific Giant Salamander is one species that actually lives up to that vernacular name.