Written by David B. Wake Last Updated   Article Free Pass
Written by David B. Wake Last Updated  Caudata, also called
Urodela,  one of the major extant orders of the class Amphibia.
It includes salamanders and newts. The relatively small and
inconspicuous salamanders are important members of north
temperate and some tropical ecosystems, in which they are
locally abundant and play important roles. They are important as
subjects of experimental studies in embryology, developmental
biology, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, and
behaviour. Convenient size, low food requirements, low metabolic
rate, and hardiness make them useful laboratory animals.
General features  Size range and diversity of structure  The
most typical salamanders are short-bodied, four-legged, moist-
skinned vertebrates about 100 to 150 mm (about 4 to 6 inches)
long. The tail is usually about as long as the body. There is
much variation in size, and terrestrial salamanders range from
40 to nearly 350 mm, with a few exceeding 1 metre