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'Lungless salamanders' (family ''Plethodontidae'') are distinguished from other families of salamanders by the following traits.

★ No lungs. They conduct respiration through their skin and the tissues lining their mouth.

★ No larval stage. Their young have a shape comparable to adults.

★ Naso-labial groove. A slit lined with glands between the nostril and upper lip, used for chemoreception.

★ Elaborate courtship rituals.

Contents

Taxonomy

References

External links

Taxonomy

Plethodontidae includes many genera grouped under two subfamilies. Nearly four hundred species of plethodontid salamanders are known, making up the majority of known species ^[1]. Only two of these species are found outside the Western hemisphere.

★ 'Subfamily Desmognathinae'

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★ Dusky salamanders (''Desmognathus'') - 19 species

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★ Red Hills salamanders (''Phaeognathus'') - 1 species

★ 'Subfamily Plethodontinae'

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★ Climbing salamanders (''Aneides'') - 6 species

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★ Slender salamanders (''Batrachoseps'') - 20 species

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★ Mushroom tongued salamanders ''(Bolitoglossa)'' - 85 species

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★ Finca Chiblac salamander ''(Bradytriton)'' - 1 species

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★ Splay-foot salamanders ''(Chiropterotriton)'' - 12 species

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★ Cryptic salamanders ''(Cryptotriton)'' - 6 species

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★ Bromeliad salamanders ''(Dendrotriton)'' - 6 species

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★ Ensatinas ''(Ensatina)'' - 1 species

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★ North American brook salamanders ''(Eurycea)'' - 26 species

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★ Spring salamanders ''(Gyrinophilus)'' - 4 species

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★ Four toed salamanders (''Hemidactylium'') - 1 species

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★ Web footed cave salamanders ''(Hydromantes)'' - 10 species

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★ Korean crevice salamanders ''(Karsenia)'' - 1 species

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★ Moss salamanders ''(Nototriton)'' - 13 species

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★ Long limbed salamanders ''(Nyctanolis)'' - 1 species

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★ Worm salamanders ''(Oedipina)'' - 23 species

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★ Tropical dwarf salamanders ''(Parvimolge)'' - 1 species

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★ Woodland salamanders (''Plethodon'') - 56 species

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★ False brook salamanders ''(Pseudoeurycea)'' - 41 species

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★ Red salamanders ''(Pseudotriton)'' - 2 species

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★ Many lined salamanders ''(Stereochilus)'' - 1 species

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★ Minute salamanders ''(Thorius)'' - 22 species

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★ Grotto salamanders ''(Typhlomolge)'' - 1 species
In the 2001 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Professor David Wake and former graduate student Gabriela Parr-Olea reported finding a new species of salamander in an isolated range of hills in southeastern Mexico. ^[2] 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'' [1].

References

1. Min, M.S., S. Y. Yang, R. M. Bonett, D. R. Vieites, R. A. Brandon & D. B. Wake. (2005). Discovery of the first Asian plethodontid salamander. ''Nature'' (435), 87-90 (5 May 2005)
2. Applied Genetics News. (July 1, 2001). ''Genomics: Biological Diversity Vaster Than Supposed.'' Volume 21; Issue 12.

External links

★ AmphibiaWeb - Plethodontidae

★ Caudata Culture Species Database - Plethodontidae