Key Identification Features
- A distinctive parental care behavior of marbled salamanders is that guarding mothers wrap their bodies around their eggs to form a bowl shape that collects water over the clutch.
- After balancers are lost, larvae are distinguished by the sharply pointed flaring of the gills.
- These salamanders are slender-bodied, with a wide nose and distinctive long toes.
- Axolotls retain features typical of salamander larvae into adulthood, which is a form of neoteny; these features include external gills and a caudal fin that extends from behind the head to the vent.
For instant identification in the field, use the iNature app — AI-powered, works offline.
