The Tellico salamander (Plethodon aureolus) is a small woodland salamander resembling Plethodon glutinosus found in mountainous and lowland regions of southeastern Tennessee and extreme southwestern North Carolina.[2] Little has been published on the species.
| Tellico salamander | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Subfamily: | Plethodontinae |
| Genus: | Plethodon |
| Species: | P. aureolus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Plethodon aureolus Highton, 1983
| |
Appearance edit
It has a grayish-black or black dorsum with brassy spotting. The chin is light-coloured and the sides have more concentrated yellow or white spotting. This brassy coloration is the source of the specific name aureolus, Latin for "gilded" or "ornamented".[3] Rounded in cross section, the maximum size for adults is 151 mm (5.9 in) from tip of the snout to tip of the tail.
Reproduction edit
Sexually active males have circular mental glands just behind the chin. The courtship ritual performed is indistinguishable from P. glutinosus. It ends with the deposition of a spermatophore by the male which is picked up by the female's cloacal lips. Chemical cues are important in species recognition and prevention of interbreeding with P. oconaluftee. Males seem to prefer the odor of female conspecifics, while females tend to prefer the odor of male heterospecifics.
References edit
- ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2023). "Plethodon aureolus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T59332A118993573. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T59332A118993573.en. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Plethodon aureolus". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Highton, Richard. "Plethodon aureolus." (1986).
Further reading edit
- Petranka, James W. (1998) Salamanders of the United States and Canada, Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press.
- Amphibian Species of the World