Desmognathus is a genus of lungless salamanders in the family Plethodontidae known as dusky salamanders.[1][2] They range throughout the eastern United States as far west as Texas, and north to southeastern Canada.[1]
| Desmognathus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ocoee salamander (Desmognathus ocoee) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Subfamily: | Plethodontinae |
| Genus: | Desmognathus Baird, 1850 |
| Species | |
|
See table. | |
Characteristics
editSpecies of the genus Desmognathus have a unique jaw-opening mechanism where the lower jaw is stationary and the skull swings open.[3] There are additional stalked condyles, an atlanto-mandibular ligament, along with other skeletal and musculature features that have evolved to accompany this type of jaw-opening mechanism.[3] Additionally, they are known to exhibit maternal care by brooding over their eggs.[3]
Species
editThis genus includes the following 39-40 species:[1]
| Binomial Name and Author | Common Name |
|---|---|
| Desmognathus abditus Anderson & Tilley, 2003 |
Cumberland dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus adatsihi Pyron and Beamer, 2022 |
Cherokee mountain dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus aeneus Brown & Bishop, 1947 |
Seepage salamander |
| Desmognathus amphileucus Bishop, 1941 |
Nantahala blackbelly salamander |
| Desmognathus anicetus Pyron and Beamer, 2023 |
Foothills dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus apalachicolae Means & Karlin, 1989 |
Apalachicola dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus aureatus (Martof, 1956) |
Golden shovelnose salamander |
| Desmognathus auriculatus (Holbrook, 1838) |
Holbrook's southern dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus bairdi Pyron and Beamer, 2023 |
Piedmont dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus balsameus Pyron and Beamer, 2022 |
Great Balsams mountain dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus brimleyorum Stejneger, 1895 |
Ouachita dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus campi Pyron and Beamer, 2023 |
Savannah dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus carolinensis Dunn, 1916 |
Carolina mountain dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus catahoula Pyron and Beamer, 2023 |
Catahoula spotted dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus cheaha Pyron and Beamer, 2023 |
Talladega seal salamander |
| Desmognathus conanti Rossman, 1958 |
Spotted dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus folkertsi Camp, Tilley, Austin & Marshall, 2002 |
Dwarf blackbelly salamander |
| Desmognathus fuscus (Rafinesque, 1820) |
Northern dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus gvnigeusgwotli Pyron and Beamer, 2022 |
Cherokee blackbelly salamander |
| Desmognathus imitator Dunn, 1927 |
Imitator salamander |
| Desmognathus intermedius (Pope, 1928) |
Central shovelnose salamander |
| Desmognathus kanawha Pyron and Beamer, 2022 |
Kanawha blackbelly salamander |
| Desmognathus lycos Pyron and Beamer, 2023 |
Wolf dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus marmoratus (Moore, 1899) |
Shovelnose salamander |
| Desmognathus mavrokoilius Pyron and Beamer, 2022 |
Pisgah blackbelly salamander |
| Desmognathus monticola Dunn, 1916 |
Seal salamander |
| Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope, 1859 |
Allegheny mountain dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus ocoee Nicholls, 1949 |
Ocoee dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus orestes Tilley & Mahoney, 1996 |
Blue Ridge dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus organi Crespi & Browne, 2010 |
Northern pygmy salamander |
| Desmognathus pascagoula Pyron, O'Connell, Lamb, and Beamer, 2022 |
Pascagoula dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus perlapsus Neill, 1950 |
Tallulah dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus planiceps Newman, 1955 |
Flat-headed salamander |
| Desmognathus quadramaculatus (Holbrook, 1840) |
Blackbelly salamander (defunct) |
| Desmognathus santeetlah Tilley, 1981 |
Santeetlah dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus tilleyi Pyron and Beamer, 2023 |
Max Patch dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus valentinei Means, Lamb, and Bernardo, 2017 |
Valentine's southern dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus valtos Pyron and Beamer, 2022 |
Carolina swamp dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus welteri Barbour, 1950 |
Black Mountain dusky salamander |
| Desmognathus wrighti King, 1936 |
Pygmy salamander |
References
edit- ^ a b c Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Desmognathus Baird, 1850". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Plethodontidae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-12-386919-7.
External links
edit- Tree of Life: Desmognathus
- "Desmognathus ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 1 May 2006.
Further reading
edit- Baird SF. 1850. Revision of the North American Tailed-Batrachia, with descriptions of new genera and species. J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Series 2, 1: 281–294. (Desmognathus, new genus, p. 282).
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