Big Mouth Cave salamander

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Gyrinophilus
Species:
G. palleucus
Subspecies:
G. p. necturoides
Trinomial name
Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides
Lazell and Brandon, 1962

Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides, the Big Mouth Cave salamander, a lungless salamander, is a subspecies of the Tennessee cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus). 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.[2]

Conservation status

While the TNC rates the Big Mouth Cave salamander as "critically imperiled",[1] IUCN claims it is only "vulnerable".[3] A study in 2007 by Brian T. Miller and Matthew L. Niemiller investigated the actual population size of the subspecies. They determined that the subspecies was actually abundant in Big Mouth Cave and other caves, contrary to popular concern.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  2. ↑ Lazell, J. D.; R. A. Brandon (1962). "A new stygian salamander from the Southern Cumberland Plateau". Copeia. No. 2 (2): 300–306. doi:10.2307/1440894. JSTOR 1440894.
  3. ↑ Geoffrey Hammerson; Christopher Beachy (2004). "Gyrinophilus palleucus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T59281A11896704. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T59281A11896704.en. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Miller, Brian T.; Matthew L. Niemiller (December 2007). "DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF TENNESSEE CAVE SALAMANDERS" (PDF). Herpetological Conservation and Biology.
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