Newts and Salamanders

There are about 400 species of newt and salamander. All newts and salamanders have tails. Most adult newts and salamanders have four legs of roughly equal size.

The Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an aquatic salamander native to Mexico. The name is from the Aztec Nahuatl language, from 'atl' meaning water, and 'xolotl' meaning dog. Its Spanish name is ajolote. Axolotls exhibit a property called neoteny, meaning that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis.

Red-bellied newts (Taricha rivularis) are endemic to California in the USA. They are found in coastal woodlands, especially redwood forests such as the Redwood National Park.

Picture Gallery 21 Images over 2 pages. [1] [2]

Olympic Salamander © Photo courtesy of Fish & Wildlife Service - John and Karen Hollingsworth