The lungless salamanders compose the largest family of salamanders and they have been a family strictly confined to the Western Hemisphere and Europe, until now. In 2005 a member of this family, Karsenia koreana, was discovered in Korea. This supports the idea that Asia, Europe, and North America were connected 100 million years ago and that lungless salamanders were once more widespread than they are today. Otherwise the family is known from 7 species in Europe, and about 350 species in North Ameirca ranging from southern Canada to Bolivia and eastern Brazil. Aquatic species lay eggs in the water and have aquatic larvae; terrestrial species lay their eggs in moist habitats and have direct development. These salamanders lack lungs and therefore exchange gas through their skin. Many of these species have complex and interesting life histories.

DNA work done by Robert Macey suggests that the Four-toed Salamander, Hemidactylium is the sister to the rest of the plethodontids, and that the family evolved in Appalachia. Macey, J. R. 2005. Plethodontid salamander mitochondrial genomics: A parsimony evaluation of character conflict and implications for historical biogeography. Cladistics 21 (2):194–202.

The Green Salamander, Aneides aeneus Cope and Packard 1881, is an Appalachian (USA) endemic that uses sandstone cliffs Green Salamanders can be found in wet crevices and on rock faces, but is also sometimes found on trees, under bark. It has unusual square toe tips. Other species in this genus live on the west coast.

The Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps sp. have elongated bodies, slender limbs, and fragile tails. They are restricted to California and Oregon. The specimen in the photograph is of unknown origin, and it is probably B. attenuatus.

Talamanca Salamander, Bolitoglossa pesrubra Taylor, 1952. Cerro de la Muerte, Costa Rica (from Paramo habitat). A common salamander of rainforest and Paramo. This species was long called B. subpalmata. It has an average home range of 44 square meters, is semiarboreal, is insectivorous, and lays 13-38 eggs under rocks or logs. Adults attend the nest and rotate the eggs. Longevity for this species is estimated at 18 years.

Noble's Striated Salamander, Bolitoglossa striatula (Noble, 1918). NE Costa Rica. B. striatula is a common species that inhabits wet forests, particularly forested areas with ponds. This individual was sitting on a large, emergent grass blade at night. It reaches 130 mm in total length. During the day it spends its time on the ground under debris.

The Seal Salamander, Desmognathus monticola Dunn, 1916. Photograph of a captive from Monroe County, Tennessee. The species ranges from western Pennsylvania Maryland southward through the Appalachian highlands to northwestern Georgia, and southwestern Alabama, USA.

Imitator Salamander, Desmognathus imitator Dunn, 1927. Inhabits the Great Smokey Mountains on the Tennessee - North Carolina (USA) border. It uses wet forest floors near streams and rock outcrops. The bright red cheek patches suggest it is involved in a mimicry complex with some populations of Plethodon jordani. See next photo.

Red Cheeked Morph of Jordan's Salamander, Plethodon jordani Blatchley, 1901. Inhabits the upper elevation wet forests of Great Smokey Mountains on the Tennessee-North Carolina Border.

The Junaluska Salamander, Eurycea junaluska Sever et al., 1976, inhabits a small area on the Tennessee Carolina (USA) border in the Cheoah, Tellico, and Fighting Creek drainages. Maximum length is about 100 mm. This is a rare salamander and it may be in decline if the results of a 1997 article are correct.

Long Tailed Salamander, Eurycea longicauda Green 1818. Photographed in Jefferson Co., Indiana. The species ranges from New York to Maryland and southwest ward through the Appalachian and Ozark uplifts to Kansas and Oklahoma, USA. It occurs on the forest floor, along streams, and in rock faces. Often under debris or exfoliating rocks.

The Cave Salamander, Eurycea lucifuga Rafinesque, 1822. Jefferson County, Indiana, USA. Despite the name this species is common in the cracks of limestone bluffs, particularly near springs or water seeps. Although it does occur in caves at some locations. It climbs well, and may use its prehensile tail to support its body. It uses forested limestone (karst) areas of the central portion of the eastern USA.

Texas Blind Salamander, Eurycea rathbuni (Stejneger, 1896). This species is found in cave streams around San Marcos (Hayes County), Texas (USA). It is neotenic (retains juvenile traits in the adult stage - like the gill filaments) and its eyes are very small and covered with skin. It has also been placed in the genus Typhlomolge.

The Georgia Blind Salamander, Eurycea wallacei (Carr, 1939), is known from a small number of caves and a well on the Georgia-Florida border. This salamander was originally described and placed in the genus Haideotriton

Grotto Salamander, Eurycea spelaea (Stejneger, 1892) The Grotto Salamander inhabits caves and springs on the Salem and Springfield plateaus (in the Ozark Region) of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, USA. It was previous placed in the genus Typhlotriton as T. spelaeus.

The Spring Salamander, Gryinophilus porphyriticus (Green, 1827) Ranges from eastern Canada to Maine, USA, southward through Appalachia to northern Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Tropical Worm Salamander, Oedipina sp. Near Monteverede Costa Rica. Most of these elongated fossorial and litter dwelling salamanders have fragile tails and webbed hands and feet.

Red Morph of the Red Backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818). Photographed in Jefferson County, Indiana. Ranges from southern Canada to Virginia and North Carolina and westward to Wisconsin and eastern Illinois. A common and often abundant forest floor salamander that is very polymorphic.

The Northern Red Salamander, Psuedotriton ruber ruber Bishop, 1943 changes color during its life time, with old individuals being duller in color than younger animals. It is a stream dweller, preferring rock, gravel, or sand substrates. It ranges from New York to Georgia.

Eastern Mud Salamander, Psuedotriton montanus Baird 1850. Richmond County, North Carolina. Inhabits muddy seeps, springs, and streams. Ranges from southern New Jersey to northern Florida and west to Alabama and extreme southeastern Louisiana.

Yonahlossee Salamander, Plethodon yonahlossee Dunn, 1917. Photograph of a captive animal. from Rutherford Co., North Carolina. Both color morphs from same county. The species inhabits the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Inhabits the forest floor and uses long burrows and moist crevices in rock outcrops. It is probably the largest plethodontid salamander, reaching 220 mm in total length. It occurs between 430-790 m in elevation.