red salamanders
Posted by lee baldwin on October 7, 2005
Q: HOW DO BABY SALAMANDERS CHANGE AS THEY GROW FROM BIRTH.DO THE PARENTS LOOK AFTER THEM.
A: When most baby salamanders hatch in water, they only look kind of like their parents. They do have tiny front legs but also gills that stick out. Over time they grow larger, their hind legs grow and their gills are reduced in size as they prepare for life on land. The parents of most salamanders do not care for them so these babies are on their own from start to finish.
However, there are some woodland or Plethodon salamanders, that's their genus,that lay their eggs in moist areas, stay with their eggs and when these babies hatch, they're fully developed into miniature salamanders - these don't go through the gilled stage in a body of water.
So, you can see that different salamanders have different ways that they grow. Some parents look after them and others do not. I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( October 9, 2005)