Salamandridae

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True Salamanders and Newts

Notophthalmus viridescens from North America

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Caudata
Family:	Salamandridae Goldfuss, 1820

Genera

  Calotriton
  Chioglossa
  Cynops
  Echinotriton
  Euproctus
  Lissotriton
  Lyciasalamandra
  Mertensiella
  Mesotriton
  Neurergus
  Notophthalmus
  Ommatotriton
  Pachytriton
  Paramesotriton
  Pleurodeles
  Salamandra
  Salamandrina
  Taricha
  Triturus
  Tylototriton

Salamandridae is a family of salamanders consisting of true salamanders and newts. There are currently 74 species (with more expected) spread all over the northern hemisphere - Europe, Asia, the northern tip of Africa, North America and in the north region of South America. Salamandrids are distinguished from other salamanders by the lack of rib or costal grooves along the sides of the body, and usually have rough skin.

[edit] Taxonomy

The genera Chioglossa, Lyciasalamandra, Mertensiella and Salamandra are grouped in the subfamily Salamandrinae, the rest in Pleurodelinae.[1]

Family Salamandridae
- Subfamily Pleurodelinae
  - Genus Calotriton (Spanish Brook Newts) -2 species
    - Montseny Brook Newt (Calotriton arnoldii)
    - Pyrenean Brook Newt (Calotriton asper)
  - Genus Cynops (Fire Belly Newts) -7 species
    - Chenggong Fire Belly Newt (Cynops chenggongensis )
    - Chuxiong Fire-Bellied Newt (Cynops cyanurus)
    - Japanese Sword-Tailed Newt (Cynops ensicauda)
    - Chinese Fire Belly Newt (Cynops orientalis)
    - Dayang Fire Belly newt (Cynops orphicus)
    - Japanese Fire Belly Newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster)
    - Yunnan Lake Newt (Cynops wolterstorffi)
  - Genus Echinotriton (Crocodile Newts) -2 species
    - Anderson's Salamander (Echinotriton andersoni)
    - Chinhai Spiny Newt (Echinotriton chinhaiensis)
  - Genus Euproctus (Brook Newts) -3 species
    - Corsican Brook Newt (Euproctus montanus)
    - Sardinian Brook Newt (Euproctus platycephalus)
  - Genus Lissotriton (Small bodied Newts) -5 species
    - Bosca's Newt (Lissotriton boscai)
    - Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)
    - Italian Newt (Lissotriton italicus)
    - Carpathian Newt (Lissotriton montandoni)
    - Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)
  - Genus Mesotriton (Alpine Newts) -1 species
    - Alpine Newt (Mesotriton alpestris)
  - Genus Neurergus (Spotted Newts) -4 species
    - Yellow-Spotted Newt (Neurergus crocatus)
    - Kaiser's Spotted Newt (Neurergus kaiseri)
    - Kurdistan Spotted Newt (Neurergus microspilotus)
    - Strauch's Spotted Newt (Neurergus strauchii)
  - Genus Notophthalmus (Eastern Newts) -3 species
    - Black-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis)
    - Striped Newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus)
    - Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
  - Genus Ommatotriton (Banded Newts) -2 species
    - Northern Banded Newt (Ommatotriton ophryticus)
    - Southern Banded Newt (Ommatotriton vittatus)
  - Genus Pachytriton (Paddle-Tail Newts) -2 species (with 4 more to be evaluated)
    - Spotted Paddle-Tail Newt (Pachytriton brevipes)
    - Paddle-Tail Newt (Pachytriton labiatus)
    - probably 4 more species not yet described completely. Known as Pachytriton A,B,C & D.
  - Genus Paramesotriton (Warty Newts) -7 species
    - Spot-Tailed Warty Newt (Paramesotriton caudopunctatus)
    - Chinese Warty Newt (Paramesotriton chinensis)
    - Tam Dao Warty Newt (Paramesotriton deloustali)
    - Wanggao Warty Newt (Paramesotriton fuzhongensis)
    - Guangxi Warty Newt (Paramesotriton guanxiensis)
    - Hong Kong Warty Newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis)
    - Laos Warty Newt (Paramesotriton laoensis)
  - Genus Pleurodeles (Ribbed Newts) -3 species
    - Algerian Ribbed Newt(Pleurodeles nebulosus)
    - Edough Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles poireti)
    - Spanish Ribbed Newt (Pleurodeles waltl)
  - Genus Salamandrina (Spectacled Salamanders) -2 species
    - Southern Spectacled Salamander (Salamandrina terdigitata)
    - Northern Spectacled Salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata)
  - Genus Taricha (Western Newts / Pacific Newts) -3 species
    - Rough-Skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa)
    - Red-Bellied Newt (Taricha rivularis)
    - California Newt (Taricha torosa)
  - Genus Triturus (Crested Newts) -7species
    - Italian Crested Newt (Triturus carnifex)
    - Northern Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)
    - Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus)
    - Southern Crested Newt (Triturus karelinii)
    - Marbled Newt (Triturus marmoratus)
    - Pygmy Marbled Newt (Triturus pygmaeus)
  - Genus Tylototriton (Crocodile Newts) -8 species
    - Black Knobby Newt (Tylototriton asperrimus)
    - Hainan Knobby Newt (Tylototriton hainanensis)
    - Red-Tailed Knobby Newt (Tylototriton kweichowensis)
    - Mandarin Newt (Tylototriton shanjing)
    - Taliang Knobby Newt (Tylototriton taliangensis)
    - Himalayan Crocodile Newt (Tylototriton verrucosus)
    - Vietnamese Crocodile Newt (Tylototriton vietnamensis)
    - Wenxian Knobby Newt (Tylototriton wenxianensis)
- Subfamily Salamandrinae
  - Genus Chioglossa -1 species
    - Gold-Striped Salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica)
  - Genus Lyciasalamandra -7 species
    - Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra anatlyana)
    - Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra atifi)
    - Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra billae)
    - Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra fizilae)
    - Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra flavimembris)
    - Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra helverseni)
    - Lycian Salamander (Lyciasalamandra luschani)
  - Genus Mertensiella -1 species
    - Caucasian Salamander (Mertensiella caucasica)
  - Genus Salamandra (Fire Salamanders) -6 species
    - Algerian Fire Salamander (Salamandra algira)
    - Alpine Salamander (Salamandra atra)
    - Corsican Fire Salamander (Salamandra corsica)
    - Near Eastern Fire Salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata)
    - Lanza's Fire Salamander (Salamandra lanzai)
    - Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra)