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Proteidae :
Aquatic paedomorphic salamanders with filamentous large, red, external gills and laterally compressed tail fins. They are distributed in Europe (Proteus, up to 200 mm) and North America (Necturus, up to 400 mm). One species of Proteus and five species of Necturus are currently recognized. The European blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus, is perhaps the rarest and strangest of all extant salamanders in museum collections, only until recently has another living specimen been allowed to enter the United States. It has reduced eyes, pale/translucent skin, and lives in caves. Little information is available on the reproductive biology of these salamanders, although the Olm (P. anguinus) seems to be capable of some degree of viviparity through the birth of advanced young. Some morphological characters for this group are: 1) maxillae, prefrontals, septomaxillae, ypsiloid cartilage, and nasals absent; 2) teeth on splenial and pterygoid; 3) two pairs of larval gill slits; 4) external gills present; 5) reduction in number of toes; 6) 19 pairs of chromosomes.
Genus :
Necturus (5 species)
Proteus (1 species)
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