Asiatic salamander

The Asiatic salamanders (family Hynobiidae) are primitive salamanders found all over Asia, and in European Russia. They are closely related to the giant salamanders (family Cryptobranchidae), with which they form the suborder Cryptobranchoidea. About half of hynobiids are unique to Japan.[1]

Hynobiid salamanders practice external fertilization, or spawning. And, unlike other salamander families which reproduce internally, male hynobiids focus on egg sacs rather than females during breeding.[2] The female lays two egg sacs at a time, each containing up to 70 eggs. Parental care is common.[3]

A few species have very reduced lungs, or no lungs at all. Larvae can sometimes have reduced external gills if they live in cold and very oxygen-rich water.[4]

Phylogeny

Cladograms based on the work of Pyron and Wiens (2011)[5] and modified using Mikko Haaramo [6]

?†Iridotriton hechti

?†Liaoxitriton

?Protohynobius puxiongensis

Onychodactylus


Pachyhynobius shangchengensis

Salamandrella



Hynobiinae

Hynobius


Ranodon sibiricus

Paradactylodon

Batrachuperus

Liua

Pseudohynobius








Classification

Currently, 54 species are known. These genera make up the Hynobiidae:

Subfamily Hynobiinae

References

  1. ↑ (Hasumi 2002).
  2. ↑ (Hasumi, 2002).
  3. ↑ Lanza, B.; Vanni., S. & Nistri, A. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G., eds. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 69. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
  4. ↑ Hasumi, M. (2002). About hynobiids. Retrieved May 8, 2005 from .
  5. ↑ Pyron, R.A.; Weins, J.J. (2011). "A large-scale phylogeny of Amphibia including over 2800 species, and a revised classification of advanced frogs, salamanders, and caecilians" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 61 (2): 543–853. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.06.012. PMID 21723399.
  6. ↑ Haaramo, Mikko (2011). "Caudata – salamanders". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive.

External links

Data related to Hynobiidae at Wikispecies

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