Caudata Habitats/Lifestyle/Diet

Question 1

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Rhyacotritonidae?

Answer 1

Cold streams in old-growth conifer forest
Some individuals found away from water
Costal Pasific NW

Question 2

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Amphiumidae?

Answer 2

Aquatic
Sluggish streams, rivers or swamps
Prey - wide variety of vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, fish) and invertebrates (insects, crayfish, snails)
Survive droughts by burrowing and aestivating - up to 2 years

Question 3

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Plethodontidae?

Answer 3

Most diverse and speciose
Only group to radiate into tropics
Greatest diversity of lifestyles - fossorial, aquatic/riparian, terrestrial, arboreal, cave-dwelling, moos-mat specialist, crevice-dwelling
Arboreal species - primarily tropical have webbed feet and prehensile tail

Question 4

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Proteidae?

Answer 4

Aquatic
Lakes, streams, canals
Nocturnally active, by day retreat to burrows, logs or rocks
Generalized predators

Question 5

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Salamandridae?

Answer 5

Can be entirely aquatic, entirely terrestrial or both
Feeding mechanism caries according or lifestyle - suction feeding (aquatic) or tongue

Question 6

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Ambystomatidae?

Answer 6

Varied lifestyles refer to reproduction

Question 7

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Dicamptodontidae?

Answer 7

Aquatic
Inhabits damp coniferous forests with cold streams

Question 8

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Sirenidae?

Answer 8

Fully aquatic
To escape drought - secret mucous cocoon and burrow into mud for 1+ years
Prey - invertebrates

Question 9

What is the habitat, lifestyle, and diet of Cryptobranchidae?

Answer 9

Entirely aquatic
Nocturnal late spring/early summer, diurnal rest of the year
Inhabit cold streams