Salamanders have the reputation of being quiet, even mute, creatures, especially in relation to their more obviously vocal anuran cousins. Beeler et al. (2026) performed a review of the literature on salamander sound production - the first comprehensive review since 1950. They demonstrated that at least 48 species, spanning every salamander family except Rhyacotritonidae, are known to produce sound. This phylogenetically widespread acoustic behavior is likely ancestral to frogs and salamanders and includes both lunged and lungless species, as well as aquatic/terrestrial and biphasic species. The mechanisms by which salamanders make sound are in many cases unclear, but diverse when known; only one species has vocal cords, but most seem to produce sound via gill slits, nostrils, or other unknown mechanisms. The functions of salamander sounds are similarly opaque, although sound production appears to encompass behaviours including defence, reproduction, territoriality, intraspecific sociality and involuntary noise. There are a growing number of modern studies on salamander acoustics that include recordings and acoustic analysis, which are making clear that salamanders navigate within a rich acoustic environment, including sound generated by other caudates. More extensive experimental research on salamander acoustics - both sound generation and hearing - will likely continue to uncover surprising diversity.

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