Lungless salamander
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Lungless salamanders (Family Plethodontidae) are salamanders which do not have lungs and instead conduct respiration through their skin and the tissues lining their mouth. Currently approximately 376 species of plethodontid salamanders are known, making up the majority of known species (Min et al., 2005). Only two of these species are found outside the Western hemisphere, seven in the Mediterreanian and one in Korea.
Plethodontidae includes several genera:
- Subfamily Desmognathinae
- * Dusky salamanders (Desmognathus) - 19 species
- * Red Hills salamanders (Phaeognathus) - 1 species
- Subfamily Plethodontinae
- * Arboreal salamanders (Aneides) - 6 species
- * Slender salamanders (Batrachoseps) - 20 species
- * Mushroom tongued salamanders (Bolitoglossa) - 85 species
- * Finca Chiblac salamander (Bradytriton) - 1 species
- * Splay-foot salamanders (Chiropterotriton) - 12 species
- * Cryptic salamanders (Cryptotriton) - 6 species
- * Bromeliad salamanders (Dendrotriton) - 6 species
- * Ensatinas (Ensatina) - 1 species
- * North American brook salamanders (Eurycea) - 25 species
- * Spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus) - 4 species
- * Georgian Blind Salamanders (Haideotriton) - 1 species
- * Four toed salamanders (Hemidactylium) - 1 species
- * Web footed cave salamanders (Hydromantes) - 10 species
- * Jumping salamanders (Ixalotriton) - 2 species
- * Korean salamanders (Karsenia) - 1 species
- * Lined salamanders (Lineatriton) - 3 species
- * Moss salamanders (Nototriton) - 13 species
- * Long limbed salamanders (Nyctanolis) - 1 species
- * Worm salamanders (Oedipina) - 23 species
- * Tropical dwarf salamanders (Parvimolge) - 1 species
- * Slimy and Mountain salamanders (Plethodon) - 56 species
- * False brook salamanders (Pseudoeurycea) - 36 species
- * Red salamanders (Pseudotriton) - 2 species
- * Many lined salamanders (Stereochilus) - 1 species
- * Minute salamanders (Thorius) - 22 species
- * Grotto salamanders (Typhlomolge) - 1 species
References
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).
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/species.shtml
http://www.amphibiaweb.org/lists/Plethodontidae.shtml
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