| Lungless salamanders | |
|---|---|
| Batrachoseps attenuatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Suborder: | Salamandroidea |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Subfamilies | |
|
Bolitoglossinae |
|
| Native distribution of plethodontids (in green) | |
The Plethodontidae, or Lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. Most species are native to the western hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea. In terms of number of species, they are by far the largest group of salamanders.[1]
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A number of features distinguish the Plethodontids from other salamanders. Most significantly, they lack lungs, conducting respiration through their skin, and the tissues lining their mouths. They must keep these surfaces moist in order to respire, and so have to live in damp environments, such as beneath logs, in caves or in wet rock crevices, and only venture out in humid weather. Another distinctive feature is the presence of a vertical slit between the nostril and upper lip, known as the "naso-labial groove". The groove is lined with glands, and enhances the salamander's chemoreception.[1]
Adult lungless salamanders have four limbs, with four toes on the forelimbs, and usually with five on the hindlimbs. Many species lack an aquatic larval stage. In many species eggs are laid on land, and the young hatch already possessing an adult body form. Many species have a projectile tongue and hyoid apparatus, which they can fire almost a body length at high speed to capture prey.
Measured in individual numbers, they are very successful animals where they occur. In some places they make up the dominant biomass of vertebrates.[2] Due to their modest size and low metabolism, they are able to feed on prey such as collembola, which are usually too small for other terrestrial vertebrates. This gives them access to a whole ecological niche with minimal competition from other groups.
The family Plethodontidae consists of 4 subfamilies and about 380 species divided among the following genera, making up the majority of known salamander species.[3]
| Subfamily | Genus Scientific Name and Author | Genus Common name | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolitoglossinae Hallowell, 1856 |
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| Batrachoseps Bonaparte, 1839 | Slender salamanders |
19
|
|
| Bolitoglossa Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 | Tropical climbing salamanders |
117
|
|
| Bradytriton Wake & Elias, 1983 | Finca Chiblac salamander |
1
|
|
| Chiropterotriton Taylor, 1944 | Splay-foot salamanders |
12
|
|
| Cryptotriton García-París & Wake, 2000 | Hidden salamanders |
7
|
|
| Dendrotriton Wake & Elias, 1983 | Bromeliad salamanders |
6
|
|
| Nototriton Wake & Elias, 1983 | Moss salamanders |
13
|
|
| Nyctanolis Elias & Wake, 1983 | Long-limbed salamanders |
1
|
|
| Oedipina Keferstein, 1868 | Worm salamanders |
25
|
|
| Parvimolge Taylor, 1944 | Tropical dwarf salamanders |
1
|
|
| Pseudoeurycea Taylor, 1944 | False brook salamanders |
50
|
|
| Thorius Cope, 1869 | Minute salamanders |
23
|
|
| Hemidactyliinae Hallowell, 1856 |
Hemidactylium Tschudi, 1838 | Four-toed salamander |
1
|
| Plethodontinae Gray, 1850 |
Aneides Baird, 1851 | Climbing salamanders |
6
|
| Atylodes Gistel, 1868 | Sardinian Cave Salamander |
1
|
|
| Desmognathus Baird, 1850 | Dusky salamanders |
20
|
|
| Ensatina Gray, 1850 | Ensatinas |
1
|
|
| Hydromantes Gistel, 1848 | Web-toed & European cave sals |
3
|
|
| Karsenia Min, Yang, Bonett, Vieites, Brandon & Wake, 2005 | Korean crevice salamanders |
1
|
|
| Phaeognathus Highton, 1961 | Red Hills salamanders |
1
|
|
| Plethodon Tschudi, 1838 | Slimy & mountain salamanders |
55
|
|
| Speleomantes Dubois, 1984 | Cave Salamanders |
7
|
|
| Spelerpinae Cope, 1859 |
Eurycea Rafinesque, 1822 | North American brook salamanders |
27
|
| Gyrinophilus Cope, 1869 | Spring salamanders |
4
|
|
| Pseudotriton Tschudi, 1838 | Mud and red salamanders |
3
|
|
| Stereochilus Cope, 1869 | Many-lined salamanders |
1
|
|
| Urspelerpes[4] Camp, Peterman, Milanovich, Lamb, Maerz & Wake, 2009 | Patch-nosed salamander |
1
|
Following a major revision in 2006 the genus Haideotriton was found to be a synonym of Eurycea while the genera Ixalotriton and Lineatriton were made synonyms of Pseudoeurycea.[5]
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