Salamandridae

The Salamandridae are one of Amphibien S Urodèle S (of which the individuals keep their tail in an adult state), described by the German Zoologiste Georg August Goldfuss (1782-1848) in 1820. It is a very diversified family whose members present a semi-watery ecology to terrestrial, variations of bridal parade, mode of reproduction (Ovoviviparité, Viviparité, Oviparité), of method of food. The Salamandridae gather several S located in a vast zone throughout the world (of Western Europe to the Ural, like in India, in China, in the North of Africa and in North America).

Nomenclature and systematic

The Classification of the Amphibians is relatively complex and always in change. The family of the Salamandridae is thus the object of many systematic reorganizations and nomenclaturales, in particular thanks to progress of the Phylogénétique. An always valid presentation currently makes it possible informellement to divide the Salamandridae into two great groups: “true salamanders” (including/understanding the S Chioglossa , Lyciasalamandra , Mertensiella and Salamandra ) and “tritons” (gathering the remaining kinds) , , . Although these two groups are not regarded as Taxon S with whole share, the studies undertaken on the phylogeny of the family confirm the origin Monophylétique of these groups, which could thus be regarded as S of the family Salamandridae , , or the species Salamandra will salamandra at which some Taxon S previously considered as S was high with the row of species to whole share.

The place of the kind Salamandrina is not yet formally recognized, but one agrees to say that it belongs neither to the group of truths salamanders, nor with that of the tritons previously quoted. The kind would constitute a line distant from these two groups

Biology and behavior

The Salamandridae form a very diversified group, as much in the morphological characteristics that in the ecological and behavioral adaptations (food, bridal parade and reproduction). The near total of the species of the family have watery larvae, except for certain “true salamanders” as the black Salamandre ( Salamandra will atra ) which put at the world complete individuals provided with lungs, being able to live with the free air as of their birth. The adult individuals have for the majority a biphasic, terrestrial and watery lifestyle, in various proportions according to the kinds. The group of “truths salamanders” (kinds Chioglossa , Salamandra , Lyciasalamandra ) watch thus a very clear tendency to the adaptation to the terrestrial life in several fields: reproduction (Ovoviviparity, going until the complete Viviparité at Salamandra will atra for example), food (adaptation of the oral apparatus to a terrestrial food). The group of the tritons has as for him an ecology and a biology much more watery. Fecundation is internal but there is not copulation: the male deposits a small bag containing sperm, the Spermatophore, on or near the female, which then recovers it by its Cloaque. The mechanisms of food are also different from in the true salamanders, and all the oral apparatus is adapted to a watery food.

One can distinguish four different groups of bridal parade according to the kind. At the kinds Mertensiella , Salamandra , Pleurodeles and Tylototriton the male captures the female by its ventral face. The spermatophore is deposited whereas the male still encloses the female and that it operates it until the spermatophore. At the American north kinds Notophthalmus and Taricha the capture of the female is done by the dorsal face. The males of the kinds Euproctus and Calotriton capture the female with their tail and the spermatophore is deposited on the body, close or in the cloacal lips. In the last group of bridal parade there is no physical contact of the whole between the two sexual partners ( Cynops , Neurergus , Paramesotriton , Pachytriton and Triturus ).

All the species of this family secrete toxins by their skin with a more or less important degree. Many species have bright colors, in order to prevent their possible predatory of their toxicity (the best European example of this tactic being provided by the mottled Salamandre, black punctuated of yellow).

Distribution

The family of the Salamandridae to the surface of distribution the most extended among the urodela, since it gathers several kinds located in a vast zone going of British islands , of the east of the Scandinavia to the mountains of the the Ural and until the south of the Iberian peninsula and the minor Asia, the north and the center of the India and China in the north of the Vietnam, the extreme North-West of the Africa, the south of the Canada, with the the United States and the extreme north of the Mexico. The National park of Great Smoky Mountains (the USA) shelters 27 species different of salamanders.

Sources

References

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