Excerpt from The Habits and Larval State of Plethodon Cinereus Erythronotus

Two habits of Plethodon deserve notice as being of rare occurrence among Urodeles. When excited it occasionally aids its progress by leaping. In such cases as have been observed under conditions that admitted measuring the length of the leap it has been found about equal to the length of the animal's body. If the animal is running on a rather even surface it lands on its feet and continues the run having gained by its leap; but it will just as readily leap into dificulties. Held in the open hand it will frequently leap 05, no matter what may be the height of the hand above the ground. In jumping the back is slightly arched and the front limbs with most of the trunk are raised in the air to about the height of one centimetre; then with a snap the tail is slapped against the surface over which the animal is moving and the body sharply straightens and shoots forward. The whole movement is so rapid that it cannot be distinguished with certainty whether the limb: aid in the leap. Two things suggest that they do; it is diflicult to imagine a force to raise the anterior part of the body to the height it attains if it does not chit av lie in a spring given by the anterior limbs. The posterior limbs are I stouter and are in a good position to aid in the forward propulsion. Inc young as well as adults possess this power of leapin'g, indeed the only specimen observed to give a succession of leaps, three in fact, was one of 24 mm. The explanation of the greater development of the posterior limbs in the later larval stages, noted by Montgomery may lie in this habit. In this connection Cope says: It frequently climbs to the summit of low vegetation, from which it springs by a sudden straight cuing or curvature of the body, as the case may be, in the manner of a caterpillar. The curvature and straightening in leaping are evident; the climbing of low vegetation to leap from it has not come under obser vation.

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