Page 30 - Amphibian

Continued from previous page

On all fours Tail
curving
Newts and salamanders (pp. 46–49) usually move quite slowly. They to left
walk or crawl on land, underground, in the trees, or on the bottom of ponds.
But they will move quickly to escape danger. Certain species can also swim
or burrow: mole and tiger salamanders burrow with their hands and feet, and
male aquatic newts perform swimming courtship displays in front of the females
(pp. 34–35). Some salamanders live among grasses, on low bushes, and even high up in
the trees; they have stubby, webbed feet for gripping leaves. So far, no “flying” salamanders
have been found, but some “spring” when startled. Most of the legless caecilians are
burrowers, but one group lives in water.

SWIMMING NEWTS
Swimming involves many different leg, body, and tail movements. Newts float with their Foot in
legs outstretched and body slightly inflated with air. They make slow, lazy, swimming forward
movements using their legs like oars in a two-person rowboat. To move faster they paddle position
using only the front legs, only the hind legs, or sometimes alternately and sometimes ready for
together. When it needs to move quickly – for example, to escape an enemy – a newt may Japanese fire- next step
swim by rapidly flexing its body and lashing its tail from side to side. Watching newts swim bellied newt
tells a great deal about what they are doing and how they behave in different situations. swimming

Tail is
straight
Foot presses against
ground pushing
salamander’s
body forward
Foot
pushes
Tail curves to body
right, helping forward
salamander’s
balance
Fire salamander walking

Foot in forward position ready
to press against the ground
and push the animal
forward

Foot
moves
forward
This foot
pushes the
body forward
ONWARD AND UPWARD
1The fire salamander walks slowly like most salamanders. The legs
move in an alternate and opposite pattern, which means that the
salamander lifts and moves the front foot of one side of its body forward
at the same time as the hind foot of the other side of its body. The other
two feet remain in the same position on the ground pushing
the body forward, ready for the next step.

2