Asiatic salamander

Paradactylodon gorganensis

The angular tooth newts ( Hynobiidae ), also called Asian country salamanders, are a rather primitive family of salamanders, whose nearest extant relatives are the giant salamander. This also known as " Low Caudates " combined superfamily Cryptobranchoidea differs in characteristics of bone structure, musculature, and in the reproductive biology of other tailed amphibians. The name derives from the fact that, among other things, in the genus Hynobius form the palate teeth on the roof of the mouth an M-shaped figure.

The family has a ostpaläarktisches distribution area, which extends from Iran to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, eastern Siberia to China, Korea, Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula. The only type of Siberian angle tooth scraper also reached the European part of Russia. In contrast to the giant salamanders angle tooth newts go through the complete aquatile larval development with the completion of metamorphosis to gill -less, adult salamanders country. This reach centimeters body length depending on the type about eight to 20 ( 25), so are rather small salamanders, (often in the mountains ) now live mainly in moist terrestrial habitats.

Reproduction takes place in the water, the female gelatinous " spawn bags " which will become fertilized externally by the male and then also guarded in some species.

Taxonomy

The family is currently divided into nine genera with more than 50 species.

• Genus Batrachuperus - Asian mountain newts ( with 5 or 6 species)
• Hynobius genus ( 32 species)
• Genus Liua ( 7 species)
• Genus Onychodactylus ( 2 species)
• Genus Pachyhynobius (with 1 type )
• Genus Paradactylodon ( 3 species)
• Genus Protohynobius (with 1 type )
• Pseudohynobius genus ( 5 species)
• Genus Ranodon - Frog tooth newts (with 1 type )
• Genus Salamandrella ( 2 species)

See also: systematics of amphibians, with references for the common taxonomy of amphibians.