Contents
Preface
Taxonomy and Systematics
Biology
- Metamorphosis
- The skin
- Anti-predator behaviour
- Colours, patterns and colour morphs
- Thermoregulation
- Diet
- Reproduction
- Natural habitats of tailed amphibians
Keeping salamanders and newts
- Keeping in an aquarium
- Keeping in a terrarium
- What to look out for when making a purchase
- Environmental conditions
- Population density
- Handling
- The right diet
Reproduction
Sexing
- Triggers for mating
- Deposition and development of eggs
- Development of the larvae
- Metamorphosis
- Raising freshly metamorphosed tailed amphibians
- The right diet for terrestrial juveniles
Salamanders, laws and ethics
- Amphibian decline and keeping salamanders – a contradiction?
- Laws governing the keeping of newts and salamanders
- Individual identification and marking
Diseases of salamanders and newts
- How to recognise a sick tailed amphibian
Most common diseases
Medical care for diseased tailed amphibians
Species accounts of tailed amphibians (Urodela)
- Salamanders and newts, Salamandridae
- Calotriton asper (Pyrenean Newt)
- Cynops cyanurus (Blue-tailed Fire-bellied Newt)
- Cynops ensicauda (Sword-tailed Newt)
- Cynops orientalis (Chinese Fire-bellied Newt)
- Cynops pyrrhogaster (Japanese Fire-bellied Newt)
- Euproctus platycephalus (Sardinian Newt)
- Laotriton laoensis (Laos Warty Newt)
- Lissotriton italicus (Italian Newt)
- Lissotriton vulgaris (Smooth Newt)
- Lyciasalamandra billae (Bille’s Salamander)
- Mertensiella caucasica (Caucasian Salamander)
- crocatus (Lake Urmia Newt)
- Neurergus kaiseri (Luristan Newt)
- Neurergus strauchii (Anatolia Newt)
- Notophthalmus viridescens (Red-spotted Newt)
- Ommatotriton ophryticus (Northern Banded Newt)
- Ommatotriton vittatus (Southern Banded Newt)
- Pachytriton sp. (Paddle-tailed Newt)
- Paramesotriton chinensis (Chinese Warty Newt)
- Pleurodeles waltl (Ribbed newt)
- Salamandra atra, Salamandra lanzai (Alpine Salamanders)
- Salamandra salamandra, Salamandra algira, Salamandra corsica, Salamandra infraimmaculata (Fire Salamanders)
- Salamandrina perspicillata, Salamandrina terdigitata (Spectacled Salamanders)
- Taricha granulosa (Rough-skinned Newt)
- Triturus carnifex (Italian Crested Newt)
- Triturus marmoratus (Northern Marbled Newt)
- Tylototriton kweichowensis (Guizhou Knobby Newt)
- Tylototriton shanjing (Yunnan Newt, Mandarin Salamander)
- Tylototriton verrucosus (Himalayan Salamander, Crocodile Newt)
- Tylototriton wenxianensis (Wenxian Knobby Newt))
Mole salamanders, Ambystomatidae
- Ambystoma laterale (Blue-spotted Salamander)
- Ambystoma macrodactylum (Long-toed Salamander)
- Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander)
- Ambystoma mavortium (Barred Tiger Salamander)
- Ambystoma mexicanum (Axolotl)
- Ambystoma opacum (Marbled Salamander)
- Lungless salamanders, Plethodontidae
- Aneides lugubris (Arboreal Salamander)
- Bolitoglossa dofleini (Giant Palm Salamander, Doflein’s Salamander)
- Bolitoglossa mexicana (Mexican Mushroomtongue Salamander)
- Desmognathus fuscus (Northern Dusky Salamander)
- Eurycea guttolineata (Three-lined Salamander)
- Gyrinophilus porphyriticus (Spring Salamander)
- Hemidactylium scutatum (Four-toed Salamander)
- Plethodon cinereus (Red-backed Salamander)
- Pseudoeurycea cephalica (Chunky False Brook Salamander)
- Pseudotriton ruber (Red Salamander)
- Speleomantes imperialis (Odourous Cave Salamander)
Asiatic salamanders, Hynobiidae
- Hynobius boulengeri (Odaigahara Salamander)
- Hynobius dunni (Oita or Dunn’s Salamander)
- Hynobius okiensis (Oki Salamander)
- Hynobius quelpaertensis (Jeju or Cheju Salamander)
- Hynobius retardatus (Hokkaido Salamander, Ezo Salamander)
- Pachyhynobius shangchengensis (Shangcheng Stout Salamander)
- Paradactylodon mustersi (Afghanistan Mountain Salamander)
Mudpuppies and Olms, Proteidae
- Necturus maculosus (Mudpuppy)
- Proteus anguinus (Olm)
Sirens, Sirenidae
- Pseudobranchus axanthus (Southern Dwarf Siren)
Giant salamanders, Cryptobranchidae
- Andrias davidianus (Chinese Giant Salamander)
Amphiumas or Congo eels, Amphiumidae
- Amphiuma tridactylum (Three-toed Amphiuma)
Species accounts of caecilians (Gymnophiona)
- Taylor‘s caecilians, Dermophiidae
- Geotrypetes seraphini (Gaboon Caecilian)
Asian tailed caecilians, Ichthyophiidae
- Ichthyophis kohtaoensis (Koh Tao Caecilian)
Aquatic caecilians or rubber eels, Typhlonectidae
- Typhlonectes natans (Rio Cauca Caecilian, Rubber Eel)
Further information
References and further reading