A New Species of Woodland Salamander of the Plethodon glutinosus Group from the Southern Appalachian Mountains
Highton R. 1983. A New Species of Woodland Salamander of the Plethodon glutinosus Group from the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Brimleyana. 9:1-20
ABSTRACT: new species of woodland salamander, Plethodon aureolus, occurs between the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee rivers on the western slopes of the Unicoi Mountains and nearby lowlands in southeastern Tennessee and adjacent North Carolina. It is a smallsized member of the P. glutinosus group and was discovered by a study of electrophoretic variation in 22 genetic loci. It is sympatric with the white-spotted form of P. glutinosus (here recognized as a distinct species, P. teyahalee) at 28 localities, and at one of these it is also sympatric with typical brassy-spotted P. glutinosus. Plethodon aureolus hybridizes with Unicoi Mountain P. Jordani on Sassafras Ridge, but there is no evidence of significant hybridization between P. aureolus and P. teyahalee or P. glutinosus.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Highton, Richard
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Amphibia, Caudata, GRSM-00104, Little Tennessee River, new species, Plethodon aureolus, salamanders