Practice question

Salamanders and newts belong to Order Urodela also called Caudata meaning tailed amphibians retaining prominent tail throughout life equal in size to body axis, four limbs equal sized projecting laterally, lateral undulatory locomotion combined with walking gait, aquatic larvae with external filamentous gills, costal grooves enhancing cutaneous respiration. Most show internal fertilization via spermatophore deposited by male picked up by female cloaca, many exhibit neoteny like axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum capable of reproducing while retaining larval morphology. Distinct from anurans losing tail and apodans losing limbs, urodeles preserve generalized tetrapod body plan.