Kingdom Animalia Genus Gyrinophilus Higher classification Tennessee cave salamander Order Salamander | Family Plethodontidae Phylum Chordata Rank Subspecies | |
Scientific name Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides Similar Tennessee cave salamander, Spring salamanders, Salamander, Berry Cave salamander, West Virginia spring sal | ||
The Big Mouth Cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides), 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.
Conservation status
While the TNC rates the Big Mouth Cave salamander as "critically imperiled", IUCN claims it is only "vulnerable". 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.
References
Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA