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What happens during the larval stage of a salamander?
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Caudata
Tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) are widespread across much of the United States. Although they are generally black with yellow blotches, bars, spots, or even stripes, some are lighter in colour or have olive markings. Tiger salamanders belong to the mole salamander family, Ambystomatidae.
During the larval stage, salamanders are exclusively aquatic and inhabit environments ranging from ponds and streams to subterranean waters. Because they are fully aquatic, they rely on gills and their skin for respiratory gas exchange.12
Key characteristics and behaviors of the larval stage include:
- Feeding: Larvae are exclusively carnivorous, primarily consuming aquatic invertebrates. Most utilize a "gape-and-suck" method, where they expand their throats to create suction that draws prey into their mouths.1
- Physical Features: They are equipped with teeth to hold and shred prey. Depending on their specific habitat, their morphology varies; for instance, pond larvae typically possess large gills and a high tail fin, while stream larvae have smaller gills and lower tail fins.1
- Development: Limbs develop at different rates depending on the species' environment.1
While most salamanders eventually undergo metamorphosis to transition to a terrestrial or semiterrestrial adult form, some species exhibit paedomorphosis, retaining larval structures like gills throughout their entire lives. Conversely, members of the family Plethodontidae typically bypass the aquatic larval stage entirely, developing directly into miniature versions of the adult on land.12