Red Salamander - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

Salamanders along with frogs and caecilians collectively form the class Amphibia. Amphibians are ectothermic and are considered tetrapods even though the limbs are often reduced (Petranka 1998). Salamanders form the order Caudata and are distinguished from other amphibians due to the fact that they have tails and paired appendages. Salamanders are extremely diverse and are classified further based on descriptive characteristics, habitats, and behaviors.

The red salamander is a member of the Plethodontidae family which are referred to collectively as the lungless salamanders. In this family, many members respire through their skin and the lining in their mouth. It has been proposed by W. Wilder and E.R. Dunn (1920) that lunglessness in this family evolved due to an adaptation for life in streams and this theory was further reinforced by C.K. Beachy and R.C. Bruce (1992), finding that members of the Plethodontidae family probably did evolve other methods for respiration other than lungs (i.e. gills) due to enhanced survival of larval salamanders in fast-moving stream environments of Southern Appalachia. Lungs in general help aquatic animals maintain position in the water column, but the larvae of Plethodontidae members are benthic creatures, therefore the adaptation of lunglessness would be beneficial to them since buoyancy would endanger their survival (Beachy & Bruce 1992). The red salamander is further classified as a member of the genus Pseudotriton. Members of this genus include only the red salamander and the mud salamander. These salamanders are difficult to tell apart by appearances, but can be distinguished by ecological factors such as the species’ habitat.