The Oriental salamander is an amphibian. The following is a detailed explanation of the Oriental salamander and its amphibious characteristics: 1. Basic features
Eastern Salamander (scientific name:) Cynops orientalis）， Also known as quadrupedal fish, quadrupedal fish, water dragon, Chinese fire dragon, etc., it is a tailed amphibian in the family Salamander and genus Salamander. Its body shape is relatively small, with a flat head, a round torso, and a flattened and slightly blunt tail. The skin is relatively smooth, with small moles and fine grooves on the back. 2、 Amphibious characteristics
1. Living environment: Oriental salamanders live in mountainous areas at an altitude of 30 to 1000 meters, often inhabiting muddy swamps with abundant aquatic plants, still water ponds, spring water pools, rice fields, and nearby ditches.
2. Breathing method: The juvenile stage of the Oriental salamander lives in water and breathes through its gills. In the adult stage, they mainly live on land and breathe through the lungs, but the skin can also assist in breathing.
3. Living habits: Eastern salamanders move slowly and are easy to catch. Engaging in activities underwater or underwater, sometimes surfacing to breathe. After entering winter, they hide under the water or in damp soil caves, crevices or under tree roots to spend the cold days. 3、 Reproduction and Development
1. Breeding season: The breeding season of Oriental salamanders mainly occurs in spring, specifically between March and May, with the peak period from late April to early May.
2. Breeding method: Oriental salamanders are amphibians that undergo internal fertilization. Before ejaculating, male salamanders swim around the female salamander, touching her cloaca with their snout and bending their tail forward, shaking rapidly. After successful courtship, the female salamander will follow the male salamander, and the male salamander will immediately release a milky white seminal vesicle. The female salamander will then touch the front end of the seminal vesicle through the reproductive cavity and slowly collect the sperm inside the vesicle, which will be stored in the fallopian tube. Afterwards, the sperm will fertilize the egg cell inside the fallopian tube.
3. Egg laying and hatching: Female salamanders will choose the leaves of aquatic plants as their spawning grounds in the water. They will use their hind limbs to pinch and fold the leaves, wrap them around the cloacal cavity, and then rest for a moment. The fertilized egg will be produced and wrapped inside the leaves. The newly hatched larvae have a total length of 10~12 millimeters, with 3 pairs of feather like outer gills and 1 pair of slender balance branches (disappearing after about 7 days). Larvae live in water and gradually grow limbs and tails after a period of abnormal development, eventually becoming adults.
The Oriental salamander has typical amphibian characteristics and can live on both land and water and adapt to different living environments.