Plethodon is a genus of salamanders in the family Plethodontidae. They are also known as woodland salamanders or, more rarely, slimy salamanders.[2] All members of the genus are endemic to North America (Canada and USA).[2] They have no aquatic larval stage. In some species, such as Plethodon cinereus, the red-backed salamander, eggs are laid underneath a stone or log.[3] Young hatch in the adult form.[3] Members of Plethodon primarily eat small invertebrates.[4] The earliest known fossils of this genus are from the Hemphillian of Tennessee in the United States.[1]
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Plethodon.