The Amphiuma Head and Skull

Salamanders have been covered at Tet Zoo on numerous occasions, there being articles on newts and other salamandrids, plethodontids (lungless salamanders) of numerous sorts, and also ambystomatids (the group that includes the Axolotl and other mole salamanders). It’s the very weird salamanders that bring in the most interest, however, and today we’re going to look briefly at them again…. Caption: amphiumas in life. At right is Cuddles, the Two-toed amphiuma Amphiuma means formerly kept at the Centre for Fortean Zoology in Exeter, UK. A very big amphiuma can exceed 1.1 m in length. Images: Darren Naish. Amphiumas are a remarkable group of eel-shaped, long-bodied, aquatic salamanders with internal gills and reduced limbs. They’re represented by just three extant species in one genus (Amphiuma), all restricted to the south-eastern USA. Fossils show that the group has been present in North America since the Upper Cretaceous at least. I have written about them in the past. Today, we’re…