Amphiban Feeding Movies

This page links to other pages that give a sampling of the diverse feeding strategies used by salamanders and other amphibians. Feeding in amphibians is typically extremely fast, and is usually completed in only a small fraction of a second. The movies on this site were made using high-speed video cameras running at speeds of up to 10,000 images per second. For comparison, normal video records at only 50 or 60 pictures per second. Movies require a QuickTime plugin. I hope you find these movies and the accompanying text enjoyable and informative. And if you do, please let me know! -- Stephen Deban

Hydromantes supramontis

A Sardinian species and one of the few European plethodontids
Bolitoglossa subpalmata

A terrestrial bolitoglossine plethodontid
Bolitoglossa rufescens

An arboreal bolitoglossine with a fast tongue
Chioglossa lusitanica
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The golden-striped salamander; the salamandrid with the longest tongue.
Bolitoglossa dofleini

A terrestrial bolitoglossine plethodontid
Hydromantes platycephalus
NEW
The American species with the longest tongue, catching a termite
Ensatina eschscholtzii
[Salamander Feeding Movies]
A plethodontid, catching two different prey types
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis

An enormous aquatic salamander of the family Cryptobranchidae
Pseudotriton ruber

A plethodontid with a long and very fast tongue
Eurycea wilderae

A plethodontid with another type of long, extremely fast tongue
Salamandrella keyserlingi

Of the family Hynobiidae, with a long but unusual tongue
Hymenochirus boettgeri
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A very tiny and bizarre suction-feeding tadpole
Taricha torosa

The Western Newt of the family Salamandridae, capturing a cricket.
Salamandrina terdigitata

A salamandrid with a bizarre tongue with a flipping pad
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus

An aquatic plethodontid larva suction feeding
Bufo terrestris

Ballistic tongue flipping by a toad
Rana pipiens
NEW
Ballistic tongue flipping by a frog



More to come!



More to come!

Ambystoma maculatum
NEW
A spotted salamander with a large fleshy tongue


All images and text on this site are the property of Stephen M. Deban. If you would like to reproduce movies for teaching or place links to this website,
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Copyright © Stephen M. Deban


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