Torrent Salamanders: Rhyacotritonidae

Scientists do not know how torrent salamanders behave. These salamanders are secretive and are seldom seen. Fertilization (FUR-teh-lih-ZAY-shun), the joining of egg and sperm to start development, takes place inside the female's body. Large, colorless eggs are laid in cold, clear water under rocks or in cracks. The embryos (EHM-bree-ohs), or young animals in the eggs, develop slowly, as do the larvae, which live for three or four years in the water. The larvae go through metamorphosis when they are close to adult size, but scientists do not know how long it takes the transformed salamanders to mature.