Re: Does a salamander lay more eggs at a time or does a lizard

Hi Angela -

Well, it's going to depend on the species of salamander or lizard.  On 
average, I'd say a salamander will lay more eggs than a lizard but this may 
not always be the case.  The reasons salamanders would be expected to lay 
lots of eggs are many:

1.  Salamanders live in areas that often have changing environments in 
terms of temperature or water availability - for instance, they may lay 
eggs in temporary pools that will dry up in a short period of time.  The 
more eggs they lay at once, the better the chance that some will survive if 
conditions change such that survival becomes more difficult.

2.  Many species of salamander (but not all) do not stick around to protect 
the eggs or the young after they hatch - the young are on their own.  So, 
more eggs means a greater chance that some will survive predation.  

3.  Having lots of young each reproductive period helps to maximize 
dispersal of young - the more dispersed in the habitat a species is, the 
less susceptible it is to sudden changes (i.e., those who are not in the 
affected area will surivive).

4.  Salamanders are usually smaller than reptiles and smaller organisms 
tend to have more young at a time than larger animals (not always true 
though!)

I would also note that not all salamanders & reptiles lay eggs!  Some 
actually give birth to live young (viviparous).

Thanks for your question!

Sue
MADScientist