Plethodontidae
| Lungless salamander Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| California slender salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Suborder: | Salamandroidea |
| Family: | Plethodontidae Gray, 1850 |
| Subgroups | |
| Native distribution of plethodontids (in green) | |
Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. With over 500 species, lungless salamanders are by far the largest family of salamanders in terms of their diversity. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil. Only two extant genera occur in the Eastern Hemisphere: Speleomantes (native to Sardinia and mainland Europe south of the Alps) and Karsenia (native to South Korea).