Lungless salamander
The Plethodontidae is a family of lungless salamanders. They are the largest groups of salamanders. They probably evolved in North America, where there are 14 genera and about 150 species.[1] Only one species is in Europe: it is Speleomantes, the cave salamander.[2]
| Lungless salamander | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Batrachoseps attenuatus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Suborder: | Salamandroidea |
| Family: | Plethodontidae Gray, 1850 |
| Subgroups | |
| |
 | |
| Native distribution of plethodontids (in green) | |
Most of them are terrestrial and are active in daytime. Lungless salamanders may communicate with their nose.[3]p168 Slender salamanders are found in the Pacific Coast. They are sometimes called "worm salamanders". This is because they have slimmer (skinny) bodies than most salamanders.[3]p182 If touched, slender salamanders will bounce on the ground and then run away.
References
- Naish D. 2010. Tetrapod Zoology, chapter 35. ISBN 978-1-905723=61-4
- Lanza B; Vanni S. & Nistri A. 1998. In Cogger H.G. & Zweifel R.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 74–75. ISBN 0-12-178560-2
- Stebbins, Robert Cyril 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0395982723
Other websites
- AmphibiaWeb - Plethodontidae
- Tree of Life: Plethodontidae Archived 2009-04-14 at the Wayback Machine
- Caudata Culture Species Database - Plethodontidae Archived 2016-12-29 at the Wayback Machine
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