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Thursday, 22 October 2026

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Order Urodela

Urodela is a taxonomic order in the class Amphibia. Global Animal Guide profiles 10 of its members: Axolotl, Chinese Giant Salamander, Smooth Newt and 7 more. The table compares them using the figures on each profile.

Urodela species compared

Size, speed, lifespan, native range and conservation status of Urodela species
Animal	Weight	Length	Top speed	Lifespan	Native to	Status
Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum	250 g	28 cm	5 km/h	15 yrs	North America	Critically Endangered
Chinese Giant Salamander Andrias davidianus	25 kg	1.5 m	5 km/h	50 yrs	Asia	Critically Endangered
Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris	3 g	10 cm	1 km/h	6 yrs	Europe, Asia	Least Concern
Olm Proteus anguinus	20 g	30 cm	1 km/h	70 yrs	Europe	Vulnerable
Mudpuppy Necturus maculosus	150 g	30 cm	2 km/h	20 yrs	North America	Least Concern
Spotted Salamander Ambystoma maculatum	13 g	20 cm	3 km/h	20 yrs	North America	Least Concern
Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra	40 g	20 cm	3 km/h	18 yrs	Europe	Least Concern
Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum	130 g	20 cm	4 km/h	13 yrs	North America	Least Concern
Eastern Newt Notophthalmus viridescens	10 g	10 cm	3 km/h	13 yrs	North America	Least Concern
Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis	1.5 kg	60 cm	3 km/h	28 yrs	North America	Vulnerable

Figures are typical adult maxima from each profile; follow a profile for ranges, sources and context.

Profiles

Pink axolotl with feathery external gills underwater

Critically Endangered

Amphibian

Axolotl

The salamander that never grows up and can regrow body parts

Chinese giant salamander with wrinkled brown skin resting on a rocky stream bed

Critically Endangered

Amphibian

Chinese Giant Salamander

World's largest amphibian

Male smooth newt in breeding dress with wavy crest swimming in a clear garden pond

Amphibian

Smooth Newt

Widespread European pond newt

Pale pinkish olm with external gills swimming in a clear limestone cave pool

Amphibian

Olm

Blind cave salamander of European karst

Mudpuppy with bushy red external gills walking on a submerged river rock

Amphibian

Mudpuppy

Fully aquatic salamander with external gills

Black spotted salamander with two rows of bright yellow spots on the forest floor

Amphibian

Spotted Salamander

The yellow-spotted salamander of eastern forests

Glossy black fire salamander with bright yellow markings on a mossy forest floor

Amphibian

Fire Salamander

The black-and-yellow salamander of European forests

Stout dark tiger salamander with yellow blotches crawling across damp soil

Amphibian

Tiger Salamander

A stout, burrowing salamander of North America

Bright orange red eft, the juvenile stage of the eastern newt, on a mossy log

Amphibian

Eastern Newt

The newt with a bright orange land stage

Large flat brown hellbender salamander with wrinkled skin on a streambed rock

Amphibian

Hellbender

North America's giant, fully aquatic salamander

Families in the order Urodela