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 and Karsenia.
The fire salamander is a common species of salamander found in Europe.
The olm or proteus is an aquatic salamander which is the only species in the genus Proteus of the family Proteidae and the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe; the family's other extant genus is Necturus. In contrast to most amphibians, it is entirely aquatic, eating, sleeping, and breeding underwater. Living in caves found in the Dinaric Alps, it is endemic to the waters that flow underground through the extensive limestone bedrock of the karst of Central and Southeastern Europe in the basin of the Soča River near Trieste, Italy, southwestern Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Introduced populations are found near Vicenza, Italy, and Kranj, Slovenia. It was first mentioned in 1689 by the local naturalist Valvasor in his Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, who reported that, after heavy rains, the olms were washed up from the underground waters and were believed by local people to be a cave dragon's offspring.
The Texas blind salamander is a rare and endangered cave-dwelling troglobite amphibian native to San Marcos, Hays County, Texas, specifically the San Marcos Pool of the Edwards Aquifer. This species resembles the olm, another stygofaunal salamander from Europe. Unlike the olm, this amphibian's body is not as elongated, and also has less reduced digits on its limbs.
The gold-striped salamander or golden-striped salamander is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is the only species of the genus Chioglossa. It is found in the north-west of Iberia at an altitude of up to 1,300 m. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Jollyville Plateau salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is also known as the Tonkawa Springs salamander. It is endemic to Travis and Williamson counties, Texas, United States. This species is perrenibranchiate, retaining its gills throughout life.
The West Virginia spring salamander is a species of troglobitic salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to West Virginia, the United States.
The northern zigzag salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the eastern United States and has been found in Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. The northern zigzag salamander's natural habitat includes temperate forests, rocky areas, and caves. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The brown cave salamander, also known as Gene's cave salamander, Sardinian cave salamander, or simply Sardinian salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Sardinia (Italy). Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rocky areas, caves, and subterranean habitats. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The imperial cave salamander, imperial salamander, odorous cave salamander, or scented cave salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Sardinia.
The Italian cave salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. Endemic to Italy, its natural habitats are temperate forests, rocky areas, caves, and subterranean habitats. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The spotted-tail salamander, also known as a "cave salamander", is a species of brook salamander.
Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides, the Big Mouth Cave salamander, a lungless salamander, is a subspecies of the Tennessee cave salamander. The Big Mouth Cave salamander lives in Big Mouth Cave and other caves in the Elk River drainage basin in Grundy County and Coffee County, Tennessee. The salamander was first described by Lazell and Brandon in 1962.
A cave salamander is a type of salamander that primarily or exclusively inhabits caves, a group that includes several species. Some of these animals have developed special, even extreme, adaptations to their subterranean environments. Some species have only rudimentary eyes. Others lack pigmentation, rendering them a pale yellowish or pinkish color.
Speleomantes strinatii, the French cave salamander, North-west Italian cave salamander, or Strinati's cave salamander is a small species of salamander found in northwest Italy and southeast France. It is very similar in appearance to the Italian cave salamander, but has a paler belly.
