Reptiles and Amphibians of Illinois. 369 



Family AMBLYSTOMID^. 



No branchial tufts ; openings closed in adults. With four 

 legs ; fingers four, toes five. Palatine teeth in a more or less 

 transverse series. Eyelids present. Teeth on the maxillaries 

 and premaxillaries. No parasphenoid teeth. Tongue free in 

 front. Palatine bones not prolonged over the parasphenoid. 

 Pterygoids and prefrontals present, the latter with the parietals 

 prolonged and embracina: the frontals. Premaxillaries not em- 

 braciig a fontanel. Occipital condyles sessile. Carpus and 

 tarsus ossified. Vertebrae amphicoelian. 



Represented by the single American genus, Amblystoma. • 



Amblystoma, Tschudi. 



Tsehudi, Batr,, 1838, p. 57. 



Hoffmann, JBronn's Thier-Reich, VI., Amphibien, p. 666. 



Smith, Tailed Amphibians, 1877, p. id. 



Body stout or rather slender. Mouth large, subterminal. 

 Tongue large and fleshy, its anterior portion finely plicate. 

 Palatine teeth extending to or passing behind the internal 

 nares. Gular fold present. Costal grooves well marked. Palms 

 and soles generally with one or more tubercles. Tail rather 

 long, compressed distally, with no membranous expansion. 



Synopsis of Illinois Species. 



1 ( 2) Palatine series of teeth not extending outside the inner 



nares. Plicae of tongue radiating from a median 

 longitudinal groove. Mandible projecting. Color 

 black or brownish, with gray spots on the sides. 

 Rather small and slender A. microstomum. 



2 ( 1) Palatine series of teeth extending outside the inner 



nares. Tongue with no longitudinal grooves, plicas 

 radiating from behind 3 



3 (6,9) Costal grooves twelve 4 



4 ( 5) No or one indistinct plantar tubercle. Color uni- 



form gray or with pale spots on the sides. Size 



small A. JEFFERSONIANUM. 



