Cryptobranchoidea Temporal range: Late Jurassic - Present,160–0 Ma |
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Cryptobranchus alleganiensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Urodela |
Suborder: |
Cryptobranchoidea Dunn, 1922 |
Subgroups | |
The Cryptobranchoidea are a suborder of salamanders found in the eastern United States, China, Taiwan, and Japan. They are known as primitive salamanders, in contrast to Salamandroidea, or advanced salamanders.
Some species of the fully aquatic Cryptobranchidae family are known as giant salamanders due to their large size.
This suborder contains only two families at present. Other families became extinct in the past and are only known as fossils.