by John Wood

 

Newts and salamanders are often mistaken as reptiles, however they are actually amphibians. Amphibians are a class of animal containing more than 6,000 species, which includes hundreds of species of newts and salamanders, forming the order Caudata. All salamanders belong to this order, which is then divided into 10 families, each containing hundreds of species themselves. Newts are actually salamanders; species in the Family Salamandridae. Newt is a name given to species within this family which lack rib or costal grooves along the sides of the body. The vast majority of newt species are aquatic or semi-aquatic, thus requiring both land and water areas in their habitat (aquarium or vivarium). A relatively small amount of species contained within the Family Salamandridae are totally terrestrial.

The majority of salamanders are terrestrial, thus requiring land based habitats (terrariums). Axolotls, mudpuppies, sirens and a few other species are completely aquatic species of salamanders that require a totally aquatic setup. Therefore, a habitat for newts and salamanders will depend mainly on the species.

 

Salamanders and newts all have teeth. Teeth are found on both the upper and lower jaws. There are even teeth on the roof of their mouths. Teeth are used for gripping onto their prey so they are not very sharp and shaped like cones. Their food is not chewed but swallowed whole. Teeth can also be replaced an indefinite number of times if they are lost.

Caudates (salamanders & newts) also have no ears. They are totally deaf to airborne sounds. However they do have an internal ear which all amphibians have. This "ear" is connected to their front legs and skull. This way when their legs and/or skull is resting on the ground they can pick up ground vibrations and these are then sent to the internal ear. The "ear" can then determine whether the vibrations were made by prey, predator or potential mate. This is one way most amphibians know you around before you even see them!

Nearly all amphibians have very good eyesight. Some tests have even indicated that newts maybe able to see certain colors as well. Amphibians have a great sense of smell too. Some species can find prey and mates just by smell alone. The Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) can find pill clams that are buried in the mud bottoms of ponds using only their sense of smell.

Salamanders are the only amphibians who can regenerate lost body parts. Legs, tails, toes and possibly even eyes have been known to grow back after being lost.

Amphibians have poison glands in their skin to help protect them from predators. These poisons can either leave a bad taste in a predators mouth or possibly kill them. For most amphibians they only give off the poison when they feel their life is in danger. So it is always a good idea to wash your hands in warm soapy water after handling any amphibian.