# Plethodon

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plethodon
> Source revision: 1349501878
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{{Short description|Genus of amphibians}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Hemphillian|recent|ref=<ref name=fossilworks/>}}
|image=Adult Female Plethodon cinereus.jpg
|image_caption=[Red-backed salamander](/source/Red-backed_salamander) (''Plethodon cinereus'')
|taxon=Plethodon
|authority=[Tschudi](/source/Johann_Jakob_von_Tschudi), 1838
| synonyms = {{genus list
 | Sauropsis | [Fitzinger](/source/Leopold_Fitzinger), 1843
 | Hightonia | Vieites, Román, [Wake](/source/Marvalee_Wake), and [Wake](/source/David_B._Wake), 2011 }}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=Frost/>
}}

'''''Plethodon''''' is a genus of [salamander](/source/salamander)s in the family [Plethodontidae](/source/Plethodontidae). They are commonly known as '''woodland salamanders'''.<ref name=Frost/> All members of the genus are [endemic](/source/endemic) to North America (Canada and the United States).<ref name=Frost/> They have no aquatic larval stage. In some species, such as the [red-backed salamander](/source/red-backed_salamander) (''[Plethodon cinereus](/source/Plethodon_cinereus)'').<ref name=IUCN/> Young hatch in the adult form.<ref name=IUCN/> Members of ''Plethodon'' primarily eat small invertebrates.<ref name=adwPcinereus/> The earliest known fossils of this genus are from the [Hemphillian](/source/Hemphillian) of [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee) in the United States.<ref name=fossilworks/>

== Taxonomy ==
''Plethodon'' is part of the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) and the subfamily [Plethodontinae](/source/Plethodontidae). The genus ''Plethodon'' can be divided into two [subgenera](/source/Subgenus): the nominal subgenus ''Plethodon'', which includes up to 49 eastern species (the bulk of diversity in the genus), and the subgenus '''''Hightonia''''',<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Vieites |first1=David R. |last2=Román |first2=Sandra Nieto |last3=Wake |first3=Marvalee H. |last4=Wake |first4=David B. |date=2011 |title=A multigenic perspective on phylogenetic relationships in the largest family of salamanders, the Plethodontidae |url=https://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/wake/373_multigenic_Plethodontidae.pdf |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=59 |issue=3 |pages=623–635 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2011.03.012 |pmid=21414414 |bibcode=2011MolPE..59..623V |issn=1055-7903}}</ref> which includes 9 species native to the western part of North America.

The eastern ''Plethodon'' subgenus can be further categorized into at least three major [species groups](/source/Species_group) which genetic analyses confirm to be [clades](/source/Clade):<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Highton |first=R |date=1995 |title=SPECIATION IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICAN SALAMANDERS OF THE GENUS ''PLETHODON'' |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.es.26.110195.003051 |journal=Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics |language=en |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=579–600 |doi=10.1146/annurev.es.26.110195.003051 |issn=0066-4162|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Kozak |first1=Kenneth H |last2=Weisrock |first2=David W |last3=Larson |first3=Allan |date=2006-03-07 |title=Rapid lineage accumulation in a non-adaptive radiation: phylogenetic analysis of diversification rates in eastern North American woodland salamanders (Plethodontidae: Plethodon ) |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |language=en |volume=273 |issue=1586 |pages=539–546 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2005.3326 |issn=0962-8452 |pmc=1560065 |pmid=16537124}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Wiens |first1=John J. |last2=Engstrom |first2=Tag N. |last3=Chippindale |first3=Paul T. |date=2006 |title=Rapid diversification, incomplete isolation, and the "speciation clock" in North American salamanders (Genus Plethodon): Testing the hybrid swarm hypothesis of rapid radiation |url=http://w.wienslab.com/Publications_files/Wiens_et_al_pleth_Evol2006.pdf |journal=Evolution |volume=60 |issue=12 |pages=2585–3103 |doi=10.1554/06-138.1 |pmid=17263119 |issn=0014-3820}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Kozak |first1=Kenneth H. |last2=Mendyk |first2=Robert W. |last3=Wiens |first3=John J. |date=2009 |title=Can Parallel Diversification Occur in Sympatry? Repeated Patterns of Body-Size Evolution in Coexisting Clades of North American Salamanders |url=http://w.wienslab.com/Publications_files/Kozak_et_al_2009.pdf |journal=Evolution |language=en |volume=63 |issue=7 |pages=1769–1784 |doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00680.x|pmid=19473404 |s2cid=3914496 }}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Alexander Pyron |first1=R. |last2=Wiens |first2=John J. |date=2011 |title=A large-scale phylogeny of Amphibia including over 2800 species, and a revised classification of extant frogs, salamanders, and caecilians |url=http://w.wienslab.com/Publications_files/Pyron_Wiens_MPE_2011.pdf |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=543–583 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2011.06.012 |pmid=21723399 |bibcode=2011MolPE..61..543A |issn=1055-7903}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Fisher-Reid |first1=M. Caitlin |last2=Wiens |first2=John J. |date=2011-10-13 |title=What are the consequences of combining nuclear and mitochondrial data for phylogenetic analysis? Lessons from Plethodon salamanders and 13 other vertebrate clades |url=http://wienslab.com/Publications_files/Fisher_Reid_Wiens_BMC_2011.pdf |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=300 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-11-300 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-2148 |pmc=3203092 |pmid=21995558|bibcode=2011BMCEE..11..300F }}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last1=Highton |first1=Richard |last2=Hastings |first2=Amy Picard |last3=Palmer |first3=Catherine |last4=Watts |first4=Richard |last5=Hass |first5=Carla A. |last6=Culver |first6=Melanie |last7=Arnold |first7=Stevan J. |date=2012 |title=Concurrent speciation in the eastern woodland salamanders (Genus Plethodon): DNA sequences of the complete albumin nuclear and partial mitochondrial 12s genes |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1055790311005318 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |language=en |volume=63 |issue=2 |pages=278–290 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2011.12.018|pmid=22230029 |bibcode=2012MolPE..63..278H |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

* The '''''Plethodon cinereus''''' '''group''',<ref name=":0" /> which contains the ubiquitous red-backed salamander and 9 other small, slender species (''[P. electromorphus](/source/Plethodon_electromorphus), [P. hoffmani](/source/Plethodon_hoffmani), [P. hubrichti](/source/Plethodon_hubrichti), [P. nettingi](/source/Plethodon_nettingi), [P. richmondi](/source/Plethodon_richmondi), [P. serratus](/source/Plethodon_serratus), [P. shenandoah](/source/Plethodon_shenandoah), [P. sherando](/source/Plethodon_sherando),'' and ''[P. virginia](/source/Plethodon_virginia)'').
* The '''''Plethodon wehrlei'' group<ref name=":0" />''' is a species complex centered on [Wehrle's salamander](/source/Wehrle's_salamander) and at least 4 of its close relatives (''[P. dixi](/source/Plethodon_dixi)'', ''[P. jacksoni](/source/Plethodon_jacksoni)'', ''[P. pauleyi](/source/Plethodon_pauleyi)'', ''[P. punctatus](/source/Plethodon_punctatus)''). Some of these species were only formally distinguished from ''P. wehrlei'' as recently as 2019.<ref name="camp2019">{{Cite journal |last1=Camp |first1=Carlos D. |last2=Pierson |first2=Todd W. |last3=Wooten |first3=Jessica A. |last4=Felix |first4=Zachary I. |date=2019-05-24 |title=Re-evaluation of the Wehrle's salamander (''Plethodon wehrlei'' Fowler and Dunn) species group (Caudata: Plethodontidae) using genomic data, with the description of a new species |url=https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4609.3.2 |journal=Zootaxa |language=en |volume=4609 |issue=3 |pages=429–448 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4609.3.2 |issn=1175-5334 |pmid=31717092 |s2cid=181533495|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* The '''''Plethodon welleri'' group'''<ref name=":0" /> includes [Weller's salamander](/source/Weller's_salamander) and the three species of zigzag salamander (''[P. angusticlavius](/source/Plethodon_angusticlavius), [P. dorsalis](/source/Plethodon_dorsalis), [P. ventralis](/source/Plethodon_ventralis)'')''.''<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6" /> Many studies have argued that the ''wehrlei'' and ''welleri'' groups should be conceived of as one larger clade, the '''''Plethodon wehrlei-welleri'' group'''.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />
* The '''''Plethodon glutinosus'' group'''<ref name=":0" /> is the largest species group within ''Plethodon'', with around 30 species and several subordinate species complexes. Many species within this group (including [the nominal species](/source/Northern_slimy_salamander)) are commonly known as "'''slimy salamanders'''", characterized by a large size, robust build and black-and-white coloration. Not all members of the ''Plethodon glutinosus'' group are labelled as slimy salamanders, and [species delimitation](/source/species_delimitation) among slimy salamanders and their close relatives is a subject of continued debate.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> For example, some studies interpret ''Plethodon grobmani'' and ''Plethodon mississippi'' to be [junior synonyms](/source/Synonym_(taxonomy)) of ''Plethodon glutinosus'', based on a lack of genetic or anatomical distinctiveness.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Joyce |first1=Kathlene L. |last2=Hayes |first2=Malorie M. |last3=Potter |first3=Jacqueline |last4=Guyer |first4=Craig |date=2019-11-22 |title=Phylogeography of the Slimy Salamander Complex (Plethodon: Plethodontidae) in Alabama |url=https://bioone.org/journals/copeia/volume-107/issue-4/CH-18-170/Phylogeography-of-the-Slimy-Salamander-Complex-Plethodon--Plethodontidae-in/10.1643/CH-18-170.full |journal=Copeia |volume=107 |issue=4 |page=701 |doi=10.1643/CH-18-170 |s2cid=208942753 |issn=0045-8511|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Guyer |first1=Craig |last2=Goetz |first2=Scott |last3=Folt |first3=Brian |last4=Joyce |first4=Kathlene |last5=Hayes |first5=Malorie |date=2019-11-22 |title=Variation in Head Shape and Color at the Range Boundary of Gulf Coastal Slimy Salamanders (Plethodon glutinosus Complex), USA |url=https://bioone.org/journals/copeia/volume-107/issue-4/CH-18-169/Variation-in-Head-Shape-and-Color-at-the-Range-Boundary/10.1643/CH-18-169.full |journal=Copeia |volume=107 |issue=4 |page=694 |doi=10.1643/CH-18-169 |s2cid=208942734 |issn=0045-8511|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* One difficult-to-classify species is [Webster's salamander](/source/Webster's_salamander), which may lie among the ''wehrlei-welleri'' group<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> or the ''glutinosus'' group,<ref name=":6" /> or outside both groups,<ref name=":1" /> depending on the study.

==List of species==
As of 2024 there are up to 58 species in the genus ''Plethodon''.<ref name="Frost" /> Most are native to eastern and central North America, with the [Appalachian Mountains](/source/Appalachian_Mountains) having the highest diversity. Seven species live along the [West Coast](/source/West_Coast_of_the_United_States), one (''P. idahoensis'') in the [Rocky Mountains](/source/Rocky_Mountains) of [Idaho](/source/Idaho), and one (''P. neomexicanus'') in the [Jemez Mountains](/source/Jemez_Mountains) of [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico).

All 58 ''Plethodon'' species listed in alphabetical order of [specific name](/source/specific_name_(zoology)):
{|cellspacing=0 cellpadding=5 border=1 style="text-align: center; border-collapse: collapse;"
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Image
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Species and author
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Common name
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Geographic range
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|[NatureServe status](/source/NatureServe_status)
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|[IUCN](/source/IUCN) status
|-
|
|''P. ainsworthi''
{{small|[Lazell](/source/James_Lazel), 1998}}
|[Ainsworth's salamander](/source/Ainsworth's_salamander)
|style="width:35%"|Central [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi)? (uncertain validity)<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Himes |first1=John G. |last2=Beckett |first2=David C. |date=2013 |title=The Status of Plethodon ainsworthi Lazell: Extinct, Extant, or Nonexistent? |url=https://bioone.org/journals/southeastern-naturalist/volume-12/issue-4/058.012.0419/The-Status-of-Plethodon-ainsworthi-Lazell--Extinct-Extant-or/10.1656/058.012.0419.full |journal=Southeastern Naturalist |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=851–856 |doi=10.1656/058.012.0419 |s2cid=55019821 |issn=1528-7092|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
|Possibly Extinct (GH)
|File:Fl_mammals_ex.svg
|-
| 200px
|''P. albagula''
{{small|[Grobman](/source/Arnold_B._Grobman), 1944}}
|[Western slimy salamander](/source/Western_slimy_salamander)
|style="width:35%"|South-central [United States](/source/United_States) ([Missouri](/source/Missouri) southwest to central [Texas](/source/Texas))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. amplus''
{{small|[Highton](/source/Richard_Highton) & [Peabody](/source/Robert_B._Peabody), 2000}}
|[Blue Ridge gray-cheeked salamander](/source/Blue_Ridge_gray-cheeked_salamander)
|Southern [Blue Ridge Mountains](/source/Blue_Ridge_Mountains) (southwest [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_en.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. angusticlavius''
{{small|Grobman, 1944}}
|[Ozark zigzag salamander](/source/Ozark_zigzag_salamander)
|[Ozark Mountains](/source/Ozarks) ([Missouri](/source/Missouri), [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas), and [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. asupak''
{{small|[Mead](/source/Louise_S._Mead), [Clayton](/source/David_R._Clayton), [Nauman](/source/Richard_S._Nauman), [Olson](/source/Deanna_H._Olson) & [Pfrender](/source/Michael_E._Pfrender), 2005}}
|[Scott Bar salamander](/source/Scott_Bar_salamander)
|[Scott Bar Mountains](/source/Scott_Bar_Mountains) ([Siskiyou County](/source/Siskiyou_County%2C_California), northern [California](/source/California))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_en.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. aureolus''
{{small|Highton, 1984}}
|[Tellico salamander](/source/Tellico_salamander)
|[Unicoi Mountains](/source/Unicoi_Mountains) ([Tennessee](/source/Tennessee)-[North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) border)
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_dd.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. caddoensis''
{{small|[C. Pope](/source/Clifford_H._Pope) & [S. Pope](/source/Sarah_Haydock_Pope), 1951}}
|[Caddo Mountain salamander](/source/Caddo_Mountain_salamander)
|[Caddo Mountains](/source/Caddo_Mountains) (western [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. chattahoochee''
{{small|Highton, 1989}}
|[Chattahoochee slimy salamander](/source/Chattahoochee_slimy_salamander)
|[Chattahoochee National Forest](/source/Chattahoochee%E2%80%93Oconee_National_Forest) (northern [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)))
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. cheoah''
{{small|Highton & Peabody, 2000}}
|[Cheoah Bald salamander](/source/Cheoah_Bald_salamander)
|[Cheoah Bald](/source/Cheoah_Bald) ([Graham](/source/Graham_County%2C_North_Carolina) and [Swain](/source/Swain_County%2C_North_Carolina) counties, southwest [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina))
|Critically Imperiled (G1)
|File:Fl_mammals_vu.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. chlorobryonis''
{{small|[Mittleman](/source/Myron_Budd_Mittleman), 1951}}
|[Atlantic Coast slimy salamander](/source/Atlantic_Coast_slimy_salamander)
|[Atlantic Coastal Plain](/source/Atlantic_Plain) ([Virginia](/source/Virginia) south to [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. cinereus''
{{small|([J. Green](/source/%3Afr%3AJacob_Green), 1818)}}
|[Red-backed salamander](/source/Red-backed_salamander)
|Northeast [North America](/source/North_America) ([Nova Scotia](/source/Nova_Scotia) west to [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) and south to [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. cylindraceus''
{{small|([Harlan](/source/Richard_Harlan), 1825)}}
|[White-spotted slimy salamander](/source/White-spotted_slimy_salamander)
|[Southeastern United States](/source/Southeastern_United_States) ([Virginia](/source/Virginia) west to easternmost [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee) and south to [South Carolina](/source/South_Carolina))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. dixi''
{{small|C. Pope & [J. Fowler](/source/James_A._Fowler), 1949}}
|[Dixie Cavern salamander](/source/Dixie_Caverns_salamander)
|[Roanoke County](/source/Roanoke_County%2C_Virginia), southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia)
|Critically Imperiled (G1)
|File:Fl_mammals_dd.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. dorsalis''
{{small|[Cope](/source/Edward_Drinker_Cope), 1889}}
|[Northern zigzag salamander](/source/Northern_zigzag_salamander) 
|South-central [United States](/source/United_States) ([Indiana](/source/Indiana) south to [Alabama](/source/Alabama))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. dunni''
{{small|[Bishop](/source/Sherman_C._Bishop), 1934}}
|[Dunn's salamander](/source/Dunn's_salamander)
|[Pacific Coast](/source/West_Coast_of_the_United_States) (northwest [California](/source/California) north to southwest [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. electromorphus''
{{small|Highton, 1999}}
|[Northern ravine salamander](/source/Northern_ravine_salamander)
|[Midwestern United States](/source/Midwestern_United_States) (western [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania) south to central [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia) and west to [Indiana](/source/Indiana))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. elongatus''
{{small|[Van Denburgh](/source/John_Van_Denburgh), 1916}}
|[Del Norte salamander](/source/Del_Norte_salamander)
|[Pacific Coast](/source/West_Coast_of_the_United_States) (northwest [California](/source/California) and southwest [Oregon](/source/Oregon))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. fourchensis''
{{small|[Duncan](/source/Robert_Duncan_(herpetologist)) & Highton, 1959}}
|[Fourche Mountain salamander](/source/Fourche_Mountain_salamander)
|[Fourche Mountain](/source/Fourche_Mountain) ([Scott](/source/Scott_County%2C_Arkansas) and [Polk](/source/Polk_County%2C_Arkansas) counties, western [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. glutinosus''
{{small|(J. Green, 1818)}}
|[Northern slimy salamander](/source/Northern_slimy_salamander)
|Eastern [United States](/source/United_States) ([Connecticut](/source/Connecticut) south to [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)) and west to [Illinois](/source/Illinois) and [Alabama](/source/Alabama)). Range extends to [Florida](/source/Florida), [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi), and [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana) according to some conceptions of the species.<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" />
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. grobmani''
{{small|[Allen](/source/Ross_Allen_(herpetologist)) & [Neill](/source/Wilfred_T._Neill), 1949}}
|[Southeastern slimy salamander](/source/Southeastern_slimy_salamander)
|[Southeastern United States](/source/Southeastern_United_States) ([Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)), [Alabama](/source/Alabama), [northern Florida](/source/North_Florida))
|Secure (G5)
|
|-
|200px
|''P. hoffmani''
{{small|Highton, 1972}}
|[Valley and ridge salamander](/source/Valley_and_ridge_salamander)
|[Appalachian Mountains](/source/Appalachian_Mountains) (central [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania) south to southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. hubrichti''
{{small|[Thurow](/source/Gordon_R._Thurow), 1957}}
|[Peaks of Otter salamander](/source/Peaks_of_Otter_salamander)
|[Peaks of Otter](/source/Peaks_of_Otter) area (southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_vu.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. idahoensis''
{{small|[Slater](/source/James_Rodenburg_Slater) & [Slipp](/source/John_W._Slipp), 1940}}
|[Coeur d'Alene salamander](/source/Coeur_d'Alene_salamander)
|[Rocky Mountains](/source/Rocky_Mountains) (northern [Idaho](/source/Idaho) and surrounding areas of [Montana](/source/Montana) and [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. jacksoni''
{{small|[Newman](/source/Walter_B._Newman), 1954}}
|[Blacksburg salamander](/source/Blacksburg_salamander)
|Southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia) and surrounding areas of [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina)
|Unranked (GNR)
|File:Fl_mammals_dd.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. jordani''
{{small|[Blatchley](/source/Willis_Stanley_Blatchley), 1901}}
|[Red-cheeked salamander](/source/Red-cheeked_salamander) or Jordan's salamander 
|[Great Smoky Mountains](/source/Great_Smoky_Mountains) ([Tennessee](/source/Tennessee)-[North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) border)
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. kentucki''
{{small|Mittleman, 1951}}
|[Cumberland Plateau salamander](/source/Cumberland_Plateau_salamander)
|[Cumberland Plateau](/source/Cumberland_Plateau) area ([West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia) south to northeast [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. kiamichi''
{{small|Highton, 1989}}
|[Kiamichi slimy salamander](/source/Kiamichi_slimy_salamander)
|[Kiamichi Mountains](/source/Kiamichi_Mountains) ([Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma), [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_vu.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. kisatchie''
{{small|Highton, 1989}}
|[Louisiana slimy salamander](/source/Louisiana_slimy_salamander)
|Northern [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana) and southern [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas)
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. larselli''
{{small|[Burns](/source/Douglas_M._Burns), 1954}}
|[Larch Mountain salamander](/source/Larch_Mountain_salamander)
|[Cascade Range](/source/Cascade_Range) (northern [Oregon](/source/Oregon) and southern [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. meridianus''
{{small|Highton & Peabody, 2000}}
|[South Mountain gray-cheeked salamander](/source/South_Mountain_gray-cheeked_salamander)
|[South Mountains](/source/South_Mountains_(North_Carolina)) area (southwest [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_en.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. metcalfi''
{{small|[Brimley](/source/Clement_Samuel_Brimley), 1912}}
|[Southern gray-cheeked salamander](/source/Southern_gray-cheeked_salamander)
|Southern [Blue Ridge Mountains](/source/Blue_Ridge_Mountains) (southwest [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) and surrounding areas of [South Carolina](/source/South_Carolina) and [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. mississippi''
{{small|Highton, 1989}}
|[Mississippi slimy salamander](/source/Mississippi_slimy_salamander)
|South-central [United States](/source/United_States) (eastern [Kentucky](/source/Kentucky) south to [Alabama](/source/Alabama) and west to [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana))
|Secure (G5)
|
|-
|200px
|''P. montanus''
{{small|Highton & Peabody, 2000}}
|[Northern gray-cheeked salamander](/source/Northern_gray-cheeked_salamander)
|[Appalachian](/source/Appalachian_Mountains) and [Blue Ridge](/source/Blue_Ridge_Mountains) mountains (southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia) south to the [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee)-[North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) border)
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|
|''P. neomexicanus''
{{small|[Stebbins](/source/Robert_C._Stebbins) & [Riemer](/source/William_J._Riemer), 1950}}
|[Jemez Mountains salamander](/source/Jemez_Mountains_salamander)
|[Jemez Mountains](/source/Jemez_Mountains) (north-central [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico))
|Critically Imperiled (G1)
|File:Fl_mammals_en.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. nettingi''
{{small|[N.B. Green](/source/Norman_Bayard_Green), 1938}} 
|[Cheat Mountain salamander](/source/Cheat_Mountain_salamander)
|[Allegheny Mountains](/source/Allegheny_Mountains) (northeast [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia))
|Critically Imperiled (G1)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. ocmulgee''
{{small|Highton, 1989}}
|[Ocmulgee slimy salamander](/source/Ocmulgee_slimy_salamander)
|Central [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state))
|Unranked (GNR)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. ouachitae''
{{small|[Dunn](/source/Emmett_Reid_Dunn) & [Heinze](/source/Albert_A._Heinze), 1933}}
|[Rich Mountain salamander](/source/Rich_Mountain_salamander)
|[Ouachita Mountains](/source/Ouachita_Mountains) (western [Arkansas](/source/Arkansas) and eastern [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma))
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. pauleyi''
{{small|[Felix](/source/Zachary_I._Felix), [Wooten](/source/Jessica_A._Wooten), [Pierson](/source/Todd_W._Pierson) & [Camp](/source/Carlos_D._Camp), 2019}}
|[Yellow-spotted woodland salamander](/source/Yellow-spotted_woodland_salamander)
|[Cumberland Plateau](/source/Cumberland_Plateau) (southern [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia) southwest to northeast [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee))
|Unranked (GNR)
|File:Fl_mammals_dd.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. petraeus''
{{small|[Wynn](/source/Addison_H._Wynn), Highton & [Jacobs](/source/Jeremy_F._Jacobs), 1988}}
|[Pigeon Mountain salamander](/source/Pigeon_Mountain_salamander)
|[Pigeon Mountain](/source/Pigeon_Mountain_(Georgia)) (northwest [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. punctatus''
{{small|Highton, 1972}}
|[Cow Knob salamander](/source/Cow_Knob_salamander)
|[George Washington National Forest](/source/George_Washington_National_Forest) ([West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia)-[Virginia](/source/Virginia) border)
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. richmondi''
{{small|[Netting](/source/M._Graham_Netting) & Mittleman, 1938}}
|[Ravine salamander](/source/Ravine_salamander)
|East-central [United States](/source/United_States) (southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia) west to [Kentucky](/source/Kentucky) and [Indiana](/source/Indiana) and south to [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. savannah''
{{small|Highton, 1989}}
|[Savannah slimy salamander](/source/Savannah_slimy_salamander)
|East-central [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_dd.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. sequoyah''
{{small|Highton, 1989}}
|[Sequoyah slimy salamander](/source/Sequoyah_slimy_salamander)
|[Beavers Bend State Park](/source/Beavers_Bend_State_Park) (eastern [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma))
|Critically Imperiled (G1)
|File:Fl_mammals_dd.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. serratus''
{{small|Grobman, 1944}}
|[Southern red-backed salamander](/source/Southern_red-backed_salamander)
|[Southeastern United States](/source/Southeastern_United_States) (southwest [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) west to [Missouri](/source/Missouri) and [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma) and south to [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. shenandoah''
{{small|Highton & [Worthington](/source/Richard_Dane_Worthington), 1967}}
|[Shenandoah salamander](/source/Shenandoah_salamander)
|[Shenandoah National Park](/source/Shenandoah_National_Park) ([Page](/source/Page_County%2C_Virginia) and [Madison](/source/Madison_County%2C_Virginia) counties, northwestern Virginia)
|Critically Imperiled (G1)
|File:Fl_mammals_cr.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. sherando''
{{small|Highton, 2004}}
|[Big Levels salamander](/source/Big_Levels_salamander)
|[Big Levels](/source/Big_Levels) ([Augusta County](/source/Augusta_County%2C_Virginia), northwestern [Virginia](/source/Virginia))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_vu.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. shermani''
{{small|[Stejneger](/source/Leonhard_Stejneger), 1906}}
|[Red-legged salamander](/source/Red-legged_salamander)
|[Unicoi](/source/Unicoi_Mountains) and [Nantahala](/source/Nantahala_National_Forest) mountains (southwest [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) and surrounding areas of [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee) and [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)))
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. stormi''
{{small|Highton & [Brame](/source/Arden_H._Brame), 1965}}
|[Siskiyou Mountains salamander](/source/Siskiyou_Mountains_salamander)
|[Siskiyou Mountains](/source/Siskiyou_Mountains) (northern [California](/source/California) and surrounding areas of [Oregon](/source/Oregon))
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_en.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. teyahalee''
{{small|[Hairston](/source/Nelson_G._Hairston), 1950}}
|[Southern Appalachian salamander](/source/Southern_Appalachian_salamander)
|Southern [Blue Ridge Mountains](/source/Blue_Ridge_Mountains) (southwest [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) and surrounding areas of [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee), [South Carolina](/source/South_Carolina), and [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. vandykei''
{{small|Van Denburgh, 1906}}
|[Van Dyke's salamander](/source/Van_Dyke's_salamander)
|Western [Washington](/source/Washington_(state))
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|100px
|''P. variolatus''
{{small|([Gilliams](/source/Jacob_Gilliams), 1818)}}
|[South Carolina slimy salamander](/source/South_Carolina_slimy_salamander)
|[Atlantic Coastal Plain](/source/Atlantic_Plain) ([South Carolina](/source/South_Carolina) and [Georgia](/source/Georgia_(U.S._state)))
|Unranked (GNR)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. vehiculum''
{{small|([Cooper](/source/James_Graham_Cooper), 1860)}}
|[Western redback salamander](/source/Western_redback_salamander)
|[Pacific Coast](/source/West_Coast_of_the_United_States) ([Oregon](/source/Oregon) north to [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia))
|Secure (G5)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. ventralis''
{{small|Highton, 1997}}
|[Southern zigzag salamander](/source/Southern_zigzag_salamander)
|[Southeastern United States](/source/Southeastern_United_States) (southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia) southwest to [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200x200px
|''P. virginia''
{{small|Highton, 1999}}
|[Shenandoah Mountain salamander](/source/Shenandoah_Mountain_salamander)
|[George Washington National Forest](/source/George_Washington_National_Forest) ([West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia)-[Virginia](/source/Virginia) border)
|Imperiled (G2)
|File:Fl_mammals_nt.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. websteri''
{{small|Highton, 1979}}
|[Webster's salamander](/source/Webster's_salamander)
|[Southeastern United States](/source/Southeastern_United_States) ([South Carolina](/source/South_Carolina) west to [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi))
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. wehrlei''
{{small|[H. Fowler](/source/Henry_Weed_Fowler) & Dunn, 1917}}
|[Wehrle's salamander](/source/Wehrle's_salamander)
|[Appalachian Mountains](/source/Appalachian_Mountains) (western [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) south to [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia) and western [Virginia](/source/Virginia))
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. welleri''
{{small|[Walker](/source/Charles_Frederic_Walker), 1931}}
|[Weller's salamander](/source/Weller's_salamander)
|[Blue Ridge Mountains](/source/Blue_Ridge_Mountains) (southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia) south to the [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee)-[North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) border)
|Vulnerable (G3)
|File:Fl_mammals_vu.svg
|-
|200px
|''P. yonahlossee''
{{small|Dunn, 1917}}
|[Yonahlossee salamander](/source/Yonahlossee_salamander)
|[Blue Ridge Mountains](/source/Blue_Ridge_Mountains) (southwest [Virginia](/source/Virginia) south to the [Tennessee](/source/Tennessee)-[North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) border)
|Apparently Secure (G4)
|File:Fl_mammals_lc.svg
|}

''[Nota bene](/source/Nota_bene)'': A [binomial authority](/source/Binomial_nomenclature) in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Plethodon''.

==Intrinsic Phylogeny==
{{clade
   |1={{clade
      |1={{clade
         |1={{clade
            |1=''[Plethodon larselli](/source/Plethodon_larselli)''
            |2={{clade
               |1=''[Plethodon vandykei](/source/Plethodon_vandykei)''
               |2=''[Plethodon idahoensis](/source/Plethodon_idahoensis)'' }} }}
         |2={{clade
            |1=''[Plethodon neomexicanus](/source/Plethodon_neomexicanus)''
            |2={{clade
               |1={{clade
                  |1=''[Plethodon vehiculum](/source/Plethodon_vehiculum)''
                  |2=''[Plethodon dunni](/source/Plethodon_dunni)'' }}
               |2={{clade
                  |1=''[Plethodon asupak](/source/Plethodon_asupak)''
                  |2={{clade
                     |1=''[Plethodon stormi](/source/Plethodon_stormi)''
                     |2=''[Plethodon elongatus](/source/Plethodon_elongatus)'' }} }} }} }} }}
      |2={{clade
         |1={{clade
            |1=''[Plethodon serratus](/source/Plethodon_serratus)''
            |2={{clade
               |1={{clade
                  |1=''[Plethodon virginia](/source/Plethodon_virginia)''
                  |2={{clade
                     |1=''[Plethodon shenandoah](/source/Plethodon_shenandoah)''
                     |2=''[Plethodon cinereus](/source/Plethodon_cinereus)'' }} }}
               |2={{clade
                  |1=''[Plethodon hoffmani](/source/Plethodon_hoffmani)''
                  |2={{clade
                     |1=''[Plethodon nettingi](/source/Plethodon_nettingi)''
                     |2={{clade
                        |1=''[Plethodon hubrichti](/source/Plethodon_hubrichti)''
                        |2={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon electromorphus](/source/Plethodon_electromorphus)''
                           |2=''[Plethodon richmondi](/source/Plethodon_richmondi)'' }} }} }} }} }} }}
         |2={{clade
            |1={{clade
               |1=''[Plethodon websteri](/source/Plethodon_websteri)''
               |2={{clade
                  |1={{clade
                     |1=''[Plethodon punctatus](/source/Plethodon_punctatus)''
                     |2=''[Plethodon wehrlei](/source/Plethodon_wehrlei)'' }}
                  |2={{clade
                     |1=''[Plethodon welleri](/source/Plethodon_welleri)''
                     |2={{clade
                        |1=''[Plethodon angusticlavius](/source/Plethodon_angusticlavius)''
                        |2={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon dorsalis](/source/Plethodon_dorsalis)''
                           |2=''[Plethodon ventralis](/source/Plethodon_ventralis)'' }} }} }} }} }}
            |2={{clade
               |1=''[Plethodon petraeus](/source/Plethodon_petraeus)''
               |2={{clade
                  |1={{clade
                     |1={{clade
                        |1={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon metcalfi](/source/Plethodon_metcalfi)''
                           |2=''[Plethodon montanus](/source/Plethodon_montanus)'' }}
                        |2={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon amplus](/source/Plethodon_amplus)''
                           |2=''[Plethodon meridianus](/source/Plethodon_meridianus)'' }} }}
                     |2={{clade
                        |1={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon chattahoochee](/source/Plethodon_chattahoochee)''
                           |2={{clade
                              |1=''[Plethodon chlorobryonis](/source/Plethodon_chlorobryonis)''
                              |2=''[Plethodon variolatus](/source/Plethodon_variolatus)'' }} }}
                        |2={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon glutinosus](/source/Plethodon_glutinosus)''
                           |2={{clade
                              |1={{clade
                                 |1=''[Plethodon cylindraceus](/source/Plethodon_cylindraceus)''
                                 |2=''[Plethodon teyahalee](/source/Plethodon_teyahalee)'' }}
                              |2={{clade
                                 |1=''[Plethodon aureolus](/source/Plethodon_aureolus)''
                                 |2=''[Plethodon cheoah](/source/Plethodon_cheoah)'' }} }} }} }} }}
                  |2={{clade
                     |1={{clade
                        |1=''[Plethodon caddoensis](/source/Plethodon_caddoensis)''
                        |2={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon ouachitae](/source/Plethodon_ouachitae)''
                           |2=''[Plethodon fourchensis](/source/Plethodon_fourchensis)'' }} }}
                     |2={{clade
                        |1=''[Plethodon kentucki](/source/Plethodon_kentucki)''
                        |2={{clade
                           |1=''[Plethodon jordani](/source/Plethodon_jordani)''
                           |2={{clade
                              |1=''[Plethodon yonahlossee](/source/Plethodon_yonahlossee)''
                              |2={{clade
                                 |1=''[Plethodon shermani](/source/Plethodon_shermani)''
                                 |2={{clade
                                    |1={{clade
                                       |1=''[Plethodon mississippi](/source/Plethodon_mississippi)''
                                       |2=''[Plethodon kiamichi](/source/Plethodon_kiamichi)'' }}
                                    |2={{clade
                                       |1={{clade
                                          |1=''[Plethodon sequoyah](/source/Plethodon_sequoyah)''
                                          |2=''[Plethodon albagula](/source/Plethodon_albagula)'' }}
                                       |2={{clade
                                           |1=''[Plethodon kisatchie](/source/Plethodon_kisatchie)''
                                           |2={{clade
                                              |1=''[Plethodon grobmani](/source/Plethodon_grobmani)''
                                              |2={{clade
                                                 |1=''[Plethodon ocmulgee](/source/Plethodon_ocmulgee)''
                                                 |2=''[Plethodon savannah](/source/Plethodon_savannah)'' }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
Intrinsic phylogeny tree of genus ''Plethodon''.<ref name=":4" />

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=adwPcinereus>{{Cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Plethodon_cinereus|title=''Plethodon cinereus'' (Eastern Red-backed Salamander)|website=Animal Diversity Web|language=en|access-date=9 February 2020}}</ref>

<ref name=Frost>{{cite web |url=https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/Amphibia/Caudata/Plethodontidae/Plethodontinae/Plethodon |title=''Plethodon'' Tschudi, 1838 |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2020 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |doi=10.5531/db.vz.0001 |access-date=13 October 2020}}</ref>

<ref name=fossilworks>{{cite web |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=37390 |title=''Plethodon'' Tschudi 1838 |work=Paleobiology Database |publisher=Fossilworks |access-date=17 December 2021}}</ref>

<ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn | author = IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group |year=2022 |title= ''Plethodon cinereus'' |article-number=e.T59334A193391260 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59334A193391260.en | access-date = 13 October 2020}}</ref>

}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2256290}}

Category:Plethodon
Category:Amphibian genera
Category:Taxa named by Johann Jakob von Tschudi

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Plethodon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plethodon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plethodon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.