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 Family: Plethodontidae

Salamanders are amphibians and belong to the order Caudata. The family covered in this key is Plethodontidae. These salamanders are commonly referred to as the lungless salamanders. They have no lungs and respiration occurs through their skin and the lining of their mouths. This family has a range from southern Canada to Bolivia and is also found in Europe.

A common characteristic of this family is the naso-labial groove. A hand lens may be necessary to view the naso-labial groove.

All members of this family are tailed as adults, have hind and fore limbs of approximately equal size, and have costal grooves numbering between 10 and 23.

The roof of the mouth has one or two longitudinal groups of small paraspheroid teeth between orbits, and transverse rows of vomerine teeth anterior to orbits may be present.

The figure below illustrates some characteristics of the salamander. It is also necessary to note that the ventral surface of the salamander is referred to as the venter.

1. Hind feet with five toes, outer and inner often very small; belly uniform gray or mottled gray and white; no constriction at the base of the tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .two

1. Hind feet with four toes; enamel white belly with strongly contrasting black spots; marked constriction at base of tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hemidactylium scutatum

Four-toed Salamander  

2. Toes normal in shape; no green lichen-like markings on dorsal side; rear portion of maxilla with teeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .three

2. Green lichen-like markings on a dark ground color; square tipped toes; rear potion of maxilla toothless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Aneides aeneus

Green Salamander

3. A light line running from eye to nostril; sides of head forming an (canthus rostralis) with upper surface; pink in overall color, darker in older individuals with possible dusky mottling; venter flesh colored; small scattered black spots on the belly, throat, and margin of lower jaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gyrinophilus porphyriticus

Northern Spring Salamander

3. No light line from eye to nostril; sides of head rounded, canthus rostralis . . . . . . . .four

 
4. Dorsal surface red to reddish orange; uppersurface dotted with irregular, rounded black spots; some spots usually creocentic or dumbbell shaped and in very large specimens, the whole upper surface may be blackish, obscuring the dorsal spots; margin of chin flecked with black; iris usually yellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pseudotriton ruber

Northern Red Salamander

4. Lower jaw not marginated with black; iris not yellow; black spots (if present) rounded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . five     

5. Venter yellow or orangish; tongue free all around margins; adults with tail as long as or longer than length of head and body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . six

5. Venter not bright yellow; tongue free on sides and rear but attached in front; tail shorter than length of head and body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . seven    

6. Ground color yellowish, ranges from brown to orange; a narrow black line along each edge of dorsum; light middorsal stripe formed may be peppered with black dots that may form a thin line; mottlings on sides of body; 15-16 costal grooves; maximum length about 10 cm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eurycea bislineata

Northern Two-lined Salamander  

6. Ground color yellow; a series of vertical bars on side of tail; 13-14 costal grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eurycea longicauda

Long-tailed Salamander

7. A light line from rear of eye to angle of jaw, this is sometimes obscured in old, dark specimens; tail more or less compressed laterally, at least on distal half; hind legs decidedly larger than forelegs; body short and stout (subfamily Desmognathus) . . . . . eight

7. No light line from eye to angle of jaw; tail round in cross-section throughout its length; body rather long and slender (subfamily Plethodon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ten 

 
8. Venter light, may be somewhat mottled; light dorsal band with an irregular pattern of dark spot; tail is keeled or knife-edged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .nine

8. Venter nearly uniformly gray; light dorsal band lacking spots or with spots in a median row; tail nearly round in cross-section at base, slightly compressed toward tip, the dorsal ridge indistinct or lacking; mouth line in adult males strongly sinuous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Desmognathus ochrophaeus

Mountian Dusky Salamander

9. Belly light and often mottled; black marks on back not heavy; less pop-eyed than D. monticola; smaller as an adult (6-11cm); mouth line less sinuous than in D. ochrophaeus and tail not rounded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Desmognathus fuscus

Northern Dusky Salamander
 

9. Stout body; belly light and never mottled; heavy black marks on back; tends to be pop-eyed; adults usually larger than adults of D. fuscus (8-12cm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Desmognathus monticola

Seal Salamander

10. Reddish to gray stripe down back from base of head to tail (may be absent); belly mottled with black spots on a white background (salt and pepper effect); 17-20 costal grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Plethodon cinereus

Red-backed Salamander

 
10. Salt and pepper effect not displayed on belly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .eleven 

 
11. Costal grooves 15-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . twelve

11. Costal grooves 19-22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..thirteen   
 
12. Dark, slaty-gray or black, more or less spotted white above; throat not lighter than belly; 15-17 costal grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plethodon glutinosus

Northern Slimy Salamander  

12. Dull gray, immaculate or white spots confined to sides; throat with conspicuous white area; 16-18 costal grooves; middorsal with red spots in pairs . . . . . . . Plethodon wehrlei

Wehrle's Salamander

13. Plain dark belly and lightly mottled chin; short legged; dorsal side seal-brown to black with silvery-white specks; irregular white blotches on lower side; costal grooves 19-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . Plethodon richmondi

Ravine Salamander  

13. Belly dark with moderate white mottling; throat mostly white; stouter body and larger legs than P. richmondi; costal grooves 20-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plethodon hoffmani

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Bibliography

Conant, R. and J.T. Collins. 1991. Peterson field guides reptiles and amphibians. 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin, New York.

 
Hart, T. and R. Ickes. 1997. Laboratory manual for field biology. Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA.