Plethodontidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
419 species in 27 genera
Lungless Salamanders The largest family of extant salamanders with over 350 species. All members of this assemblage lack lungs and possess naso-labial grooves which aid in chemoreception. This group was thought to have arisen out of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. Members within this group have adapted to stream, arboreal, terrestrial, fossorial (underground) and cave habitats. Currently there are two subfamilies, the Hemidactylinae and Plethodontinae, of which the latter is the largest and has individuals capable of ballistically projecting their tongue (along with tongue skeleton) to capture prey (as in Hydromantes) as well as having webbed feet (tribe Bolitoglossini). Most species are direct developers. With the exception of six species in the Middle Western Mediterranean in Europe (members of the genus Hydromantes, which also occurs in California) this family is mainly found in the New World and extends from southern Canada down to Bolivia and Brazil. It includes the only group of tropical salamanders which account for about 2/3 of the species and 40% of all salamanders. Generalized in body form with four fingers and five toes (except when reduced to four toes in miniaturized species). Some morphological characters for this group are: 1) pterygoid absent; 2) nasolabial groove present; 3) lacrimals absent; 4) otic and occipital elements fused; 5) elongate, up to 60 vertebrae.
Plethodon shermani
Photo by Brad Moon
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Subfamily Hemidactyliinae (323 species)
Genus Batrachoseps (20 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Bolitoglossa (117 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Bradytriton (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Bradytriton silus English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Chiropterotriton (12 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Cryptotriton (7 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Cryptotriton adelos no English account non-English account no photos no sound/video Cryptotriton alvarezdeltoroi no English account non-English account no photos no sound/video Cryptotriton monzoni English account non-English account photos no sound/video Cryptotriton nasalis English account non-English account photos no sound/video Cryptotriton sierraminensis English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Cryptotriton veraepacis no English account non-English account photos no sound/video Cryptotriton wakei no English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Dendrotriton (8 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Dendrotriton bromeliacius no English account non-English account photos no sound/video Dendrotriton chujorum no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Dendrotriton cuchumatanus no English account non-English account photos no sound/video Dendrotriton kekchiorum no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Dendrotriton megarhinus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Dendrotriton rabbi no English account non-English account photos no sound/video Dendrotriton sanctibarbarus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Dendrotriton xolocalcae no English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Eurycea (26 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Gyrinophilus (4 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Gyrinophilus gulolineatus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Gyrinophilus palleucus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Gyrinophilus porphyriticus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Gyrinophilus subterraneus English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Haideotriton (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Haideotriton wallacei English account non-English account no photos no sound/video
Genus Hemidactylium (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Hemidactylium scutatum English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Ixalotriton (2 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Ixalotriton niger English account non-English account photos no sound/video Ixalotriton parvus no English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Nototriton (15 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Nyctanolis (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Nyctanolis pernix English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Oedipina (31 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Parvimolge (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Parvimolge townsendi no English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Pseudoeurycea (49 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Pseudotriton (2 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Pseudotriton montanus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Pseudotriton ruber English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Stereochilus (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Stereochilus marginatus English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Thorius (23 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Urspelerpes (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Urspelerpes brucei English account no non-English account photos no sound/video
Subfamily Plethodontinae (96 species)Genus Aneides (6 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Genus Desmognathus (21 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Genus Ensatina (1 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Ensatina eschscholtzii English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Hydromantes (11 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Hydromantes ambrosii English account non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes brunus English account non-English account photos sound/video Hydromantes flavus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes genei English account non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes imperialis English account non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes italicus English account non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes platycephalus English account non-English account photos sound/video Hydromantes sarrabusensis no English account no non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes shastae English account non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes strinatii English account non-English account photos no sound/video Hydromantes supramontis English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Karsenia (1 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Karsenia koreana English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Phaeognathus (1 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Phaeognathus hubrichti English account non-English account photos no sound/video
Genus Plethodon (55 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2012. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2012).AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.