plethodontid

The Plethodontidae are a family of lungless salamanders, making them the largest family of amphibians worldwide. Their most distinctive characteristic is the absence of lungs, a trait they share with no other salamander family except the Sirenidae, which are highly aquatic and exhibit a different evolutionary path. Plethodontids respire through their skin, a process known as cutaneous respiration, and also via vascularized tissues in their mouths and throats. This adaptation requires them to live in moist environments to prevent desiccation.

This family is distributed throughout the New World, with a significant presence in North and Central America, and extending into South America. A few species are also found in Africa, representing a remarkable biogeographic outlier. Plethodontids exhibit a wide range of sizes and habitats, from small, terrestrial species found under leaf litter and logs to larger, arboreal species living in trees, and even some semi-aquatic forms. Their reproductive strategies are diverse, with many species exhibiting direct development, where eggs hatch into miniature adults, bypassing a larval aquatic stage. Parental care, such as guarding eggs, is also observed in some members of the family. Their diet typically consists of invertebrates.