Urodela

Urodela, also known as Caudata, is an order of amphibians characterized by their tails and typically four legs. This group includes approximately 740 species, such as newts, hellbenders, and mud puppies. Salamanders are generally small, moist-skinned animals, though some species, like the Chinese and Japanese giant salamanders, can grow quite large.1

Most salamanders inhabit damp woodlands and freshwater environments, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. They often undergo a larval stage with external gills, and some species retain these larval features into adulthood, a condition called neoteny. Their diet consists of insects, worms, and other small invertebrates. Fertilization is typically internal, with males producing a spermatophore that the female absorbs.1