| Caudates Temporal range: Middle Triassic – Present
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|---|---|
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| Fossil of the salamander Karaurus sharovi a non-urodelan caudatan from the Middle-Late Jurassic belonging to the family Karauridae | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Superorder: | Batrachia |
| Clade: | Caudata Scopoli, 1777 |
| Subgroups | |
The Caudata are a group of amphibians containing the extant salamanders (the order Urodela) and all extinct species of amphibians more closely related to salamanders than to frogs. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults.
Disagreement exists between different authorities as to the definition of the terms "Caudata" and "Urodela". Some maintain that Urodela should be restricted to the crown group, with Caudata being used for the total group. Others restrict the name Caudata to the crown group and use Urodela for the total group. The former approach seems to be most widely adopted and is used in this article.[1]
- ^ Naish, Darren (2013-10-01). "The amazing world of salamanders". Scientific American. Retrieved 2014-01-14.