 Respiration differs among the different species of salamanders , and can involve gills , lungs , skin , and the membranes of mouth and throat . Larval salamanders breathe primarily by means of gills , which are usually external and feathery in appearance . Water is drawn in through the mouth and flows out through the gill slits . Some neotenic species such as the mudpuppy ( Necturus maculosus ) retain their gills throughout their lives , but most species lose them at metamorphosis . The embryos of some terrestrial lungless salamanders , such as Ensatina , that undergo direct development , have large gills that lie close to the egg 's surface . 
