Plethodontidae (see family information on Tree of Life site)
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 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. 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 (299 species)
Genus Batrachoseps (20 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Bolitoglossa (101 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Bradytriton (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Bradytriton silus species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Chiropterotriton (12 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
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 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 (7 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
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 photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton nasalis species account photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton sierraminensis species account photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton veraepacis species account photos no range maps no sounds Cryptotriton wakei species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Dendrotriton (6 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Dendrotriton bromeliacius species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrotriton cuchumatanus species account photos no range maps no sounds Dendrotriton megarhinus species account 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 Eurycea (26 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Gyrinophilus (4 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Haideotriton (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Haideotriton wallacei species account no photos range maps no sounds
Genus Hemidactylium (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Hemidactylium scutatum species account photos range maps no sounds
Genus Ixalotriton (2 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Ixalotriton niger species account photos no range maps no sounds Ixalotriton parvus species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Lineatriton (3 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Lineatriton lineolus species account photos range maps no sounds Lineatriton orchileucos species account no photos no range maps no sounds Lineatriton orchimelas species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Nototriton (13 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Nototriton abscondens species account photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton barbouri species account no photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton brodiei species account photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton gamezi species account photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton guanacaste species account photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton lignicola species account photos range maps no sounds Nototriton limnospectator species account photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton major species account no photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton picadoi species account no photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton richardi species account photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton saslaya species account no photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton stuarti species account no photos no range maps no sounds Nototriton tapanti species account no photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Nyctanolis (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Nyctanolis pernix species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Oedipina (28 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Oedipina alfaroi species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina alleni species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina altura species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina carablanca species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina collaris species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina complex species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina cyclocauda species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina elongata species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina fortunensis no species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina gephyra species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina gracilis species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina grandis species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina ignea species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina kasios no species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina leptopoda no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina maritima species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina pacificensis species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina parvipes species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina paucidentata species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina poelzi species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina pseudouniformis species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina quadra no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina savagei species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina stenopodia species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina stuarti species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina taylori species account photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina tomasi species account no photos no range maps no sounds Oedipina uniformis species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Parvimolge (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Parvimolge townsendi species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Pseudoeurycea (45 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Pseudotriton (2 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Pseudotriton montanus species account photos range maps no sounds Pseudotriton ruber species account photos range maps no sounds
Genus Stereochilus (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Stereochilus marginatus species account photos range maps no sounds
Genus Thorius (23 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Genus Urspelerpes (1 species) [subfamily Hemidactyliinae]
Urspelerpes brucei species account photos no range maps no sounds
Subfamily Plethodontinae (95 species)Genus Aneides (6 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
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 photos range maps no sounds Aneides lugubris species account photos range maps no sounds Aneides vagrans species account photos range maps sounds
Genus Desmognathus (20 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Genus Ensatina (1 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Ensatina eschscholtzii species account photos range maps no sounds
Genus Hydromantes (11 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Hydromantes ambrosii species account photos range maps no sounds Hydromantes brunus species account photos range maps no sounds Hydromantes flavus species account photos range maps no sounds Hydromantes genei species account photos range maps no sounds Hydromantes imperialis species account photos range maps no sounds Hydromantes italicus species account photos range maps no sounds Hydromantes platycephalus species account photos range maps sounds Hydromantes sarrabusensis no species account no photos no range maps no sounds Hydromantes shastae species account photos range maps no sounds Hydromantes strinatii species account photos no range maps no sounds Hydromantes supramontis species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Karsenia (1 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Karsenia koreana species account photos no range maps no sounds
Genus Phaeognathus (1 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Phaeognathus hubrichti species account photos range maps no sounds
Genus Plethodon (55 species) [subfamily Plethodontinae]
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2010. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: 2010).AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.