Plethodontidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
Lungless salamanders
Generalized in body form with four fingers and five toes (except when reduced to four toes in miniaturized species). 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 Desmognathinae 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 new world and extends from southern Canada down to Bolivia and Brazil. It includes the only family of tropical salamanders which account for about 2/3 of the species and 40% of all salamanders. 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 jordani
Photo by Brad Moon
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Genus Aneides (6 species)
Aneides aeneus species account photos range maps no sounds Aneides ferreus species account photos range maps no sounds Aneides flavipunctatus species account photos range maps no sounds Aneides hardii species account no photos range maps no sounds Aneides lugubris species account photos range maps no sounds Aneides vagrans species account photos range maps no sounds
Genus Batrachoseps (20 species)
Genus Bolitoglossa (95 species)
Genus Bradytriton (1 species)
Bradytriton silus species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Chiropterotriton (12 species)
Chiropterotriton arboreus species account no photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton chiropterus species account photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton chondrostega species account no photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton cracens species account no photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton dimidiatus species account photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton lavae species account photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton magnipes species account photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton mosaueri species account no photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton multidentatus species account no photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton orculus species account no photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton priscus species account no photos no range maps no sounds Chiropterotriton terrestris species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Cryptotriton (6 species)
Cryptotriton adelos species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton alvarezdeltoroi species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton monzoni species account no photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton nasalis species account photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton veraepacis species account photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton wakei species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Dendrotriton (6 species)
Dendrotriton bromeliacius species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrotriton cuchumatanus species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrotriton megarhinus species account no photos no range maps no sounds Dendrotriton rabbi species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrotriton sanctibarbarus species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrotriton xolocalcae species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Desmognathus (20 species)
Genus Ensatina (1 species)
Ensatina eschscholtzii species account photos range maps no sounds
Genus Eurycea (26 species)
Eurycea aquatica species account no photos range maps no sounds Eurycea bislineata species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea chamberlaini species account no photos no range maps no sounds Eurycea chisholmensis species account no photos range maps no sounds Eurycea cirrigera species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea guttolineata species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea junaluska species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea latitans species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea longicauda species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea lucifuga species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea multiplicata species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea nana species account photos range maps no sounds Eurycea naufragia species account no photos range maps no sounds Eurycea neotenes species account no photos range maps no sounds Eurycea pterophila species account no photos