Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Dusky Salamander (desmognathus Fuscus): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, LUNGLESS SALAMANDERS AND PEOPLE

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Physical Characteristics

The family of lungless salamanders includes the smallest and nearly the largest land-dwelling salamanders. These salamanders have no lungs and breathe through their skin. They have four toes on their front legs and four or five toes on their rear legs. They have a medium to long tail. Lungless salamanders are 1 to 14 inches (2.5 to 35 centimeters) long. The head is specialized for burrowing and fo…

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Diet

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Behavior And Reproduction

Lungless salamanders commonly live close together in large numbers and typically are the most numerous vertebrates (VER-teh-brehts), or animals with backbones, in a region. Lungless salamanders are secretive by day and active by night. They have small home ranges. The only ones that make seasonal travels are the few species that breed in water. Lungless salamanders that live in streams are more ac…

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Conservation Status

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Dusky Salamander (desmognathus Fuscus): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Dusky salamanders are about 5.5 inches (14 centimeters) long from tip of snout to tip of tail. They have short legs and a stocky build. The hind legs are much larger than the front legs. The head is wedge shaped and has large eyes that bulge out. The jaw and neck muscles are thick. The tail has a low fin and ends in a sharp point. The tail grows back if it is pulled off b…

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Arboreal Salamander (aneides Lugubris): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Arboreal (ar-BOR-ee-ul) salamanders have a heavily muscled head and body; a long, grasping tail; and long, grasping toes. The toes also have widened, somewhat curved tips. Arboreal salamanders are a little longer than 7 inches (18 centimeters) from tip of snout to tip of tail. Their large eyes bulge from the head in front of large jaw muscles. The head is nearly triangula…

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Talamancan Web-footed Salamander (bolitoglossa Pesrubra): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Talamancan (tah-lah-MAHNG-kahn) web-footed salamanders are stocky salamanders that reach a length of about 4 inches (11 centimeters) from tip of snout to tip of tail. The tail is about half of the total length. The toes are webbed, meaning there is skin between them, although the tips of the toes stick out beyond the webbing. Most of these salamanders are dark brown with …

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Two-lined Salamander (eurycea Bislineata): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Two-lined salamanders are small, thin salamanders with long, tapered tails. The eyes bulge out from the head. The color of these salamanders ranges from greenish yellow to yellow or orangish brown. Broad bands extend from behind the eyes along the trunk to near the tip of the tail. This band is marked with dark brown or black spots. On each side of the dark brown band is …

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Texas Blind Salamander (eurycea Rathbuni): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Texas blind salamanders have no eyes. They have red, feathery gills and a shiny white body with long, extremely thin legs. Gills are organs for obtaining oxygen from water. These salamanders reach a length of about 5 to 5.5 inches (13 to 14 centimeters) from tip of snout to tip of tail. The head is large and flat and has a broad, blunt snout. Geographic range: Texas blind…

Lungless Salamanders: Plethodontidae - Bell's Salamander (pseudoeurycea Bellii): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Bell's salamanders are the largest lungless salamanders and almost the largest land-dwelling salamanders. They reach a length of nearly 14 inches (36 centimeters) from tip of snout to tip of tail. Bell's salamanders are shiny dark black and have a pair of red to reddish orange spots on the back of the head and paired rows of red to reddish orange spots along…