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Order: ANURA
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Information about salamanders.
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Information about caecilians.
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amphibian, salamanders, caudata, caudate, dicamptodontidae, dicamptodon aterrimus, dicamptodon copei, dicamptodon ensatus, dicamptodon tenebrosus, idaho giant salamander, copes giant salamander, california giant salamander, pacific giant salamander
Dicamptodontidae (Tihen, 1958) Pacific Giant Salamanders
Dicamptodon tenebrosus - photo courtesy of Gary Nafis, http://www.californiaherps.comDicamptodontids are large (10in-13in) salamanders found in the Western United States. Dicamptodontids resemble Ambystomids in shape and physique, but are more robust and usually larger all around. 

Dicamptodontids deposit eggs in cold streams, where the larvae will remain two to five years before metamorphosis. Dicamptodontids have the unique ability to vocalize when disturbed. Dicamptodon copei is neotenic, retaining gills into adulthood, and living a fully aquatic life.

Dicamptodontidae is part of the suborder Salamandroidea, the "advanced salamanders"...more about Dicamptodontidae.



    
   
Genus Dicamptodon (Strauch, 1870)
  Dicamptodon aterrimus Idaho Giant Salamander
  Dicamptodon copei Cope's Giant Salamander
  Dicamptodon ensatus California Giant Salamander
  Dicamptodon tenebrosus Pacific Giant Salamander
    
  

Amphibian Taxonomy References

AmphibiaWeb (2003). http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2001-2003).

Beltz, Ellin (2003). North American Reptile and Amphibian Names. Ellin Beltz. http://ebeltz.net/herps/etyhome.html (Accessed: 2001).

Center for North American Herpetology (2003). http://www.cnah.org/ (Accessed: 2000).

Collins, Joseph T. Standard Common and Scientific Names for North American Amphibians & Reptiles (3rd ed.). Society for the Study of Amphibians & Reptiles (SSAR), 1990.

Duellman, W.E. and L. Trueb. Biology of Amphibians. McGraw Hill, New York, 1986.

Fowler, Henry W. Annual Report of the New Jersey State Museum, 1906 - With A Report of the Amphibians and Reptiles of New Jersey and a Supplement to the Fishes of New Jersey. Trenton, New Jersey State Museum, 1906.

Frank, Norman, and E. Ramus. Complete Guide to Scientific and Common Names of Reptiles & Amphibians of the World. N.G. Publishing, 1996.

Frost, Darrel. R. Amphibian Species of the World. Allen Press and the Association of Systematics Collections. Lawrence, KS, 1985.

Frost, Darrel R. (2004). Amphibian Species of the World 3.0. American Museum of Natural History. http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php (Accessed: 2004).

Halliday, Tim R., and Kraig Adler (editors). The New Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians. Facts on File, New York, 2002.

Jordan, David S. A Manual of Vertebrates of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi River and North of North Carolina and Tennessee, Exclusive to Marine Species. Chicago, 1878.

Larson, Allan. 1991. A molecular perspective on the evolutionary relationships of the salamander families. Evolutionary Biology 25: 211-277.

Larson, Allan (2004). Terrestrial Vertebrates. Tree of Life Web Project. http://www.tolweb.org/tree?group=terrestrial_vertebrates. (Accessed: 2004).

Schleich, Hermann H., and Werner Kastle (editors). Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal. Koeltz, Koningstein, 2002.

Stebbins, Robert. Western Reptiles & Amphibians (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003.

Titus, T.A. and A. Larson. 1995. A molecular phylogenetic perspective on the evolutionary radiation of the salamander family Salamandridae. Systematic Biology 44: 125-151.

    
  

Amphibian Taxonomy References

AmphibiaWeb (2003). http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2001-2003).

Beltz, Ellin (2003). North American Reptile and Amphibian Names. Ellin Beltz. http://ebeltz.net/herps/etyhome.html (Accessed: 2001).

Center for North American Herpetology (2003). http://www.cnah.org/ (Accessed: 2000).

Collins, Joseph T. Standard Common and Scientific Names for North American Amphibians & Reptiles (3rd ed.). Society for the Study of Amphibians & Reptiles (SSAR), 1990.

Duellman, W.E. and L. Trueb. Biology of Amphibians. McGraw Hill, New York, 1986.

Fowler, Henry W. Annual Report of the New Jersey State Museum, 1906 - With A Report of the Amphibians and Reptiles of New Jersey and a Supplement to the Fishes of New Jersey. Trenton, New Jersey State Museum, 1906.

Frank, Norman, and E. Ramus. Complete Guide to Scientific and Common Names of Reptiles & Amphibians of the World. N.G. Publishing, 1996.

Frost, Darrel. R. Amphibian Species of the World. Allen Press and the Association of Systematics Collections. Lawrence, KS, 1985.

Frost, Darrel R. (2004). Amphibian Species of the World 3.0. American Museum of Natural History. http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php (Accessed: 2004).

Halliday, Tim R., and Kraig Adler (editors). The New Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians. Facts on File, New York, 2002.

Jordan, David S. A Manual of Vertebrates of the Northern United States Including the District East of the Mississippi River and North of North Carolina and Tennessee, Exclusive to Marine Species. Chicago, 1878.

Larson, Allan. 1991. A molecular perspective on the evolutionary relationships of the salamander families. Evolutionary Biology 25: 211-277.

Larson, Allan (2004). Terrestrial Vertebrates. Tree of Life Web Project. http://www.tolweb.org/tree?group=terrestrial_vertebrates. (Accessed: 2004).

Schleich, Hermann H., and Werner Kastle (editors). Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal. Koeltz, Koningstein, 2002.

Stebbins, Robert. Western Reptiles & Amphibians (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003.

Titus, T.A. and A. Larson. 1995. A molecular phylogenetic perspective on the evolutionary radiation of the salamander family Salamandridae. Systematic Biology 44: 125-151.

 

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