Plethodon is a genus of salamanders in the family Plethodontidae. They are commonly known as woodland salamanders.[2] All members of the genus are endemic to North America (Canada and the United States).[2] They have no aquatic larval stage. In some species, such as the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus).[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]
| Plethodon Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Subfamily: | Plethodontinae |
| Genus: | Plethodon Tschudi, 1838 |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Taxonomy
editPlethodon is part of the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) and the subfamily Plethodontinae. The genus Plethodon can be divided into two subgenera: the nominal subgenus Plethodon, which includes up to 49 eastern species (the bulk of diversity in the genus), and the subgenus Hightonia,[5] which includes 9 species native to the western part of North America.
The eastern Plethodon subgenus can be further categorized into at least three major species groups which genetic analyses confirm to be clades:[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
- The Plethodon cinereus group,[6] which contains the ubiquitous red-backed salamander and 9 other small, slender species (P. electromorphus, P. hoffmani, P. hubrichti, P. nettingi, P. richmondi, P. serratus, P. shenandoah, P. sherando, and P. virginia).
- The Plethodon wehrlei group[6] is a species complex centered on Wehrle's salamander and at least 4 of its close relatives (P. dixi, P. jacksoni, P. pauleyi, P. punctatus). Some of these species were only formally distinguished from P. wehrlei as recently as 2019.[13]
- The Plethodon welleri group[6] includes Weller's salamander and the three species of zigzag salamander (P. angusticlavius, P. dorsalis, P. ventralis).[7][12] Many studies have argued that the wehrlei and welleri groups should be conceived of as one larger clade, the Plethodon wehrlei-welleri group.[8][9][10][11]
- The Plethodon glutinosus group[6] is the largest species group within Plethodon, with around 30 species and several subordinate species complexes. Many species within this group (including the nominal species) are commonly known as "slimy salamanders", characterized by a large size, robust build and black-and-white coloration. Not all members of the Plethodon glutinosus group are labelled as slimy salamanders, and species delimitation among slimy salamanders and their close relatives is a subject of continued debate.[8][11][12] For example, some studies interpret Plethodon grobmani and Plethodon mississippi to be junior synonyms of Plethodon glutinosus, based on a lack of genetic or anatomical distinctiveness.[14][15]
- One difficult-to-classify species is Webster's salamander, which may lie among the wehrlei-welleri group[6][8][9][10][11] or the glutinosus group,[12] or outside both groups,[7] depending on the study.
List of species
editAs of 2024 there are up to 58 species in the genus Plethodon.[2] Most are native to eastern and central North America, with the Appalachian Mountains having the highest diversity. Seven species live along the West Coast, one (P. idahoensis) in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho, and one (P. neomexicanus) in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico.
All 58 Plethodon species listed in alphabetical order of specific name:
| Image | Species and author | Common name | Geographic range | NatureServe status | IUCN status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P. ainsworthi
Lazell, 1998 |
Ainsworth's salamander | Central Mississippi? (uncertain validity)[16] | Possibly Extinct (GH) | 
| |
|
P. albagula
Grobman, 1944 |
Western slimy salamander | South-central United States (Missouri southwest to central Texas) | Secure (G5) | 
|
|
P. amplus | Blue Ridge gray-cheeked salamander | Southern Blue Ridge Mountains (southwest North Carolina) | Imperiled (G2) | 
|
_(3679651745).jpg)
|
P. angusticlavius
Grobman, 1944 |
Ozark zigzag salamander | Ozark Mountains (Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
|
P. asupak | Scott Bar salamander | Scott Bar Mountains (Siskiyou County, northern California) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
| P. aureolus
Highton, 1984 |
Tellico salamander | Unicoi Mountains (Tennessee-North Carolina border) | Imperiled (G2) | 
| |
|
P. caddoensis | Caddo Mountain salamander | Caddo Mountains (western Arkansas) | Imperiled (G2) | 
|
|
P. chattahoochee
Highton, 1989 |
Chattahoochee slimy salamander | Chattahoochee National Forest (northern Georgia) | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
|
P. cheoah
Highton & Peabody, 2000 |
Cheoah Bald salamander | Cheoah Bald (Graham and Swain counties, southwest North Carolina) | Critically Imperiled (G1) | 
|
|
P. chlorobryonis
Mittleman, 1951 |
Atlantic Coast slimy salamander | Atlantic Coastal Plain (Virginia south to Georgia) | Secure (G5) |
|
|
P. cinereus
(J. Green, 1818) |
Red-backed salamander | Northeast North America (Nova Scotia west to Minnesota and south to North Carolina) | Secure (G5) |
|
|
P. cylindraceus
(Harlan, 1825) |
White-spotted slimy salamander | Southeastern United States (Virginia west to easternmost Tennessee and south to South Carolina) | Secure (G5) |
|
| P. dixi
C. Pope & J. Fowler, 1949 |
Dixie Cavern salamander | Roanoke County, southwest Virginia | Critically Imperiled (G1) |
| |
|
P. dorsalis
Cope, 1889 |
Northern zigzag salamander | South-central United States (Indiana south to Alabama) | Secure (G5) |
|
|
P. dunni
Bishop, 1934 |
Dunn's salamander | Pacific Coast (northwest California north to southwest Washington) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
|
P. electromorphus
Highton, 1999 |
Northern ravine salamander | Midwestern United States (western Pennsylvania south to central West Virginia and west to Indiana) | Secure (G5) |
|
|
P. elongatus
Van Denburgh, 1916 |
Del Norte salamander | Pacific Coast (northwest California and southwest Oregon) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
|
P. fourchensis
Duncan & Highton, 1959 |
Fourche Mountain salamander | Fourche Mountain (Scott and Polk counties, western Arkansas) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
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|
P. glutinosus
(J. Green, 1818) |
Northern slimy salamander | Eastern United States (Connecticut south to Georgia and west to Illinois and Alabama). Range extends to Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana according to some conceptions of the species.[14][15] | Secure (G5) |
|
|
P. grobmani | Southeastern slimy salamander | Southeastern United States (Georgia, Alabama, northern Florida) | Secure (G5) | |
|
P. hoffmani
Highton, 1972 |
Valley and ridge salamander | Appalachian Mountains (central Pennsylvania south to southwest Virginia) | Secure (G5) |
|
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P. hubrichti
Thurow, 1957 |
Peaks of Otter salamander | Peaks of Otter area (southwest Virginia) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
| P. idahoensis | Coeur d'Alene salamander | Rocky Mountains (northern Idaho and surrounding areas of Montana and British Columbia) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
| |
| P. jacksoni
Newman, 1954 |
Blacksburg salamander | Southwest Virginia and surrounding areas of North Carolina | Unranked (GNR) |
| |
|
P. jordani
Blatchley, 1901 |
Red-cheeked salamander or Jordan's salamander | Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee-North Carolina border) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
|
P. kentucki
Mittleman, 1951 |
Cumberland Plateau salamander | Cumberland Plateau area (West Virginia south to northeast Tennessee) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
|
P. kiamichi
Highton, 1989 |
Kiamichi slimy salamander | Kiamichi Mountains (Oklahoma, Arkansas) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
|
P. kisatchie
Highton, 1989 |
Louisiana slimy salamander | Northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
|
P. larselli
Burns, 1954 |
Larch Mountain salamander | Cascade Range (northern Oregon and southern Washington) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
|
P. meridianus
Highton & Peabody, 2000 |
South Mountain gray-cheeked salamander | South Mountains area (southwest North Carolina) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
|
P. metcalfi
Brimley, 1912 |
Southern gray-cheeked salamander | Southern Blue Ridge Mountains (southwest North Carolina and surrounding areas of South Carolina and Georgia) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
|
P. mississippi
Highton, 1989 |
Mississippi slimy salamander | South-central United States (eastern Kentucky south to Alabama and west to Louisiana) | Secure (G5) | |
|
P. montanus
Highton & Peabody, 2000 |
Northern gray-cheeked salamander | Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains (southwest Virginia south to the Tennessee-North Carolina border) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
| P. neomexicanus | Jemez Mountains salamander | Jemez Mountains (north-central New Mexico) | Critically Imperiled (G1) |
| |
_(13432757184).jpg)
|
P. nettingi
N.B. Green, 1938 |
Cheat Mountain salamander | Allegheny Mountains (northeast West Virginia) | Critically Imperiled (G1) |
|
| P. ocmulgee
Highton, 1989 |
Ocmulgee slimy salamander | Central Georgia | Unranked (GNR) |
| |
|
P. ouachitae | Rich Mountain salamander | Ouachita Mountains (western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma) | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
| P. pauleyi | Yellow-spotted woodland salamander | Cumberland Plateau (southern West Virginia southwest to northeast Tennessee) | Unranked (GNR) |
| |
_-_Flickr_-_2ndPeter.jpg)
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P. petraeus | Pigeon Mountain salamander | Pigeon Mountain (northwest Georgia) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
|
P. punctatus
Highton, 1972 |
Cow Knob salamander | George Washington National Forest (West Virginia-Virginia border) | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
|
P. richmondi
Netting & Mittleman, 1938 |
Ravine salamander | East-central United States (southwest Virginia west to Kentucky and Indiana and south to North Carolina) | Secure (G5) |
|
| P. savannah
Highton, 1989 |
Savannah slimy salamander | East-central Georgia | Imperiled (G2) |
| |
|
P. sequoyah
Highton, 1989 |
Sequoyah slimy salamander | Beavers Bend State Park (eastern Oklahoma) | Critically Imperiled (G1) |
|
|
P. serratus
Grobman, 1944 |
Southern red-backed salamander | Southeastern United States (southwest North Carolina west to Missouri and Oklahoma and south to Louisiana) | Secure (G5) |
|
|
P. shenandoah
Highton & Worthington, 1967 |
Shenandoah salamander | Shenandoah National Park (Page and Madison counties, northwestern Virginia) | Critically Imperiled (G1) | 
|
|
P. sherando
Highton, 2004 |
Big Levels salamander | Big Levels (Augusta County, northwestern Virginia) | Imperiled (G2) |
|
|
P. shermani
Stejneger, 1906 |
Red-legged salamander | Unicoi and Nantahala mountains (southwest North Carolina and surrounding areas of Tennessee and Georgia) | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
|
P. stormi
Highton & Brame, 1965 |
Siskiyou Mountains salamander | Siskiyou Mountains (northern California and surrounding areas of Oregon) | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
|
P. teyahalee
Hairston, 1950 |
Southern Appalachian salamander | Southern Blue Ridge Mountains (southwest North Carolina and surrounding areas of Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
|
P. vandykei
Van Denburgh, 1906 |
Van Dyke's salamander | Western Washington | Imperiled (G2) |
|
|
P. variolatus
(Gilliams, 1818) |
South Carolina slimy salamander | Atlantic Coastal Plain (South Carolina and Georgia) | Unranked (GNR) |
|
.jpg)
|
P. vehiculum
(Cooper, 1860) |
Western redback salamander | Pacific Coast (Oregon north to British Columbia) | Secure (G5) |
|
|
P. ventralis
Highton, 1997 |
Southern zigzag salamander | Southeastern United States (southwest Virginia southwest to Mississippi) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
| P. virginia
Highton, 1999 |
Shenandoah Mountain salamander | George Washington National Forest (West Virginia-Virginia border) | Imperiled (G2) |
| |
|
P. websteri
Highton, 1979 |
Webster's salamander | Southeastern United States (South Carolina west to Mississippi) | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
|
P. wehrlei
H. Fowler & Dunn, 1917 |
Wehrle's salamander | Appalachian Mountains (western New York south to West Virginia and western Virginia) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
_sitting_on_a_broken_log.jpg)
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P. welleri
Walker, 1931 |
Weller's salamander | Blue Ridge Mountains (southwest Virginia south to the Tennessee-North Carolina border) | Vulnerable (G3) |
|
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P. yonahlossee
Dunn, 1917 |
Yonahlossee salamander | Blue Ridge Mountains (southwest Virginia south to the Tennessee-North Carolina border) | Apparently Secure (G4) |
|
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Plethodon.
References
edit- ^ a b "Plethodon Tschudi 1838". Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Plethodon Tschudi, 1838". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ a b IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2022). "Plethodon cinereus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T59334A193391260. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59334A193391260.en. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ "Plethodon cinereus (Eastern Red-backed Salamander)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ Vieites, David R.; Román, Sandra Nieto; Wake, Marvalee H.; Wake, David B. (2011). "A multigenic perspective on phylogenetic relationships in the largest family of salamanders, the Plethodontidae" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 59 (3): 623–635. Bibcode:2011MolPE..59..623V. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.03.012. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 21414414.
- ^ a b c d e f Highton, R (1995). "SPECIATION IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICAN SALAMANDERS OF THE GENUS PLETHODON". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 26 (1): 579–600. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.26.110195.003051. ISSN 0066-4162.
- ^ a b c Kozak, Kenneth H; Weisrock, David W; Larson, Allan (2006-03-07). "Rapid lineage accumulation in a non-adaptive radiation: phylogenetic analysis of diversification rates in eastern North American woodland salamanders (Plethodontidae: Plethodon )". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 273 (1586): 539–546. doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3326. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 1560065. PMID 16537124.
- ^ a b c d Wiens, John J.; Engstrom, Tag N.; Chippindale, Paul T. (2006). "Rapid diversification, incomplete isolation, and the "speciation clock" in North American salamanders (Genus Plethodon): Testing the hybrid swarm hypothesis of rapid radiation" (PDF). Evolution. 60 (12): 2585–3103. doi:10.1554/06-138.1. ISSN 0014-3820. PMID 17263119.
- ^ a b c Kozak, Kenneth H.; Mendyk, Robert W.; Wiens, John J. (2009). "Can Parallel Diversification Occur in Sympatry? Repeated Patterns of Body-Size Evolution in Coexisting Clades of North American Salamanders" (PDF). Evolution. 63 (7): 1769–1784. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00680.x. PMID 19473404. S2CID 3914496.
- ^ a b c Alexander Pyron, R.; Wiens, John J. (2011). "A large-scale phylogeny of Amphibia including over 2800 species, and a revised classification of extant frogs, salamanders, and caecilians" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 61 (2): 543–583. Bibcode:2011MolPE..61..543A. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.06.012. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 21723399.
- ^ a b c d Fisher-Reid, M. Caitlin; Wiens, John J. (2011-10-13). "What are the consequences of combining nuclear and mitochondrial data for phylogenetic analysis? Lessons from Plethodon salamanders and 13 other vertebrate clades" (PDF). BMC Evolutionary Biology. 11 (1): 300. Bibcode:2011BMCEE..11..300F. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-11-300. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 3203092. PMID 21995558.
- ^ a b c d Highton, Richard; Hastings, Amy Picard; Palmer, Catherine; Watts, Richard; Hass, Carla A.; Culver, Melanie; Arnold, Stevan J. (2012). "Concurrent speciation in the eastern woodland salamanders (Genus Plethodon): DNA sequences of the complete albumin nuclear and partial mitochondrial 12s genes". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (2): 278–290. Bibcode:2012MolPE..63..278H. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.12.018. PMID 22230029.
- ^ Camp, Carlos D.; Pierson, Todd W.; Wooten, Jessica A.; Felix, Zachary I. (2019-05-24). "Re-evaluation of the Wehrle's salamander (Plethodon wehrlei Fowler and Dunn) species group (Caudata: Plethodontidae) using genomic data, with the description of a new species". Zootaxa. 4609 (3): 429–448. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4609.3.2. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 31717092. S2CID 181533495.
- ^ a b Joyce, Kathlene L.; Hayes, Malorie M.; Potter, Jacqueline; Guyer, Craig (2019-11-22). "Phylogeography of the Slimy Salamander Complex (Plethodon: Plethodontidae) in Alabama". Copeia. 107 (4): 701. doi:10.1643/CH-18-170. ISSN 0045-8511. S2CID 208942753.
- ^ a b Guyer, Craig; Goetz, Scott; Folt, Brian; Joyce, Kathlene; Hayes, Malorie (2019-11-22). "Variation in Head Shape and Color at the Range Boundary of Gulf Coastal Slimy Salamanders (Plethodon glutinosus Complex), USA". Copeia. 107 (4): 694. doi:10.1643/CH-18-169. ISSN 0045-8511. S2CID 208942734.
- ^ Himes, John G.; Beckett, David C. (2013). "The Status of Plethodon ainsworthi Lazell: Extinct, Extant, or Nonexistent?". Southeastern Naturalist. 12 (4): 851–856. doi:10.1656/058.012.0419. ISSN 1528-7092. S2CID 55019821.