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'' Salpornis '' is a genus of bird which is usually included in the family Certhiidae. The genus has in the past been included with the nuthatches in the family Sittidae or placed in a family of its own, the Salpornithidae. 
The tail has twelve feathers and is rounded at the tips. The nostril is exposed and there are no rictal bristles. The tongue ends in five bristles.
The genus has two species with the African species earlier considered as a subspecies. Differences in size, calls and
Molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
analyses show them to be definitely within the Certhioidea but still leaves some uncertainty about their placement in relation to the genera '' Sitta'', ''Tichodroma
''Tichodroma'' is the only known genus in the family Tichodromidae. Initially, Linnaeus placed ''Tichodroma'' in the family Certhiidae, along with the treecreepers., while other athourities have placed it the nuthatch family Sittidae, as its own ...
'' and '' Certhia''. While they appear similar to the treecreepers (''Certhia''), they do not use their tails to support them while climbing and some molecular evidence shows them to be closer to the nuthatches (''Sitta'') while another study suggests a closer relation to the wallcreeper ''Tichodroma muraria
The wallcreeper (''Tichodroma muraria'') is a small passerine bird found throughout the high mountains of the Palearctic from southern Europe to central China. It is the only extant member of both the genus ''Tichodroma'' and the family Tichodr ...
''. The generic name is derived from the Greek ''salpinktes'' for wren and ''ornis'' for bird.
The tail has twelve feathers and is rounded at the tips. The nostril is exposed and there are no rictal bristles. The tongue ends in five bristles.
The genus has two species with the African species earlier considered as a subspecies. Differences in size, calls and mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...
sequences have supported the splitting of the African and Indian populations.
* Indian spotted creeper (''Salpornis spilonota'')
* African spotted creeper (''Salpornis salvadori'') with four subspecies.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10812337 Taxa named by George Robert Gray