Lungless salamander

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Lungless salamander
Temporal range: Oligocene–Present
Batrachoseps attenuatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Suborder: Salamandroidea
Family: Plethodontidae
Gray, 1850
Subgroups
Native distribution of plethodontids (in green)

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]

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[change | change source]

  1. Naish D. 2010. Tetrapod Zoology, chapter 35. ISBN 978-1-905723=61-4
  2. 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
  3. 3.0 3.1 Stebbins, Robert Cyril 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0395982723

Other websites[change | change source]