Plethodon grobmani

Frost et al. (2021) includes Plethodon grobmani as a synonym of P. glutinosus. He states that only P. grobmani and P. mississippi are treated as synonyms of nominal P. glutinosus and other members of the P. glutinosus complex recognized after 1997 are retained pending those taxa being formally addressed. Nevertheless, it is clear that the taxonomy of the P. glutinosus complex requires revisiting. Dubois et al. (2021) recovered in their large-scale tree of amphibians Plethodon mississippi, Plethodon grobmani, and Plethodon glutinosus not as nearest relatives, further deepening the concern for species boundaries.

Highton et al. (1989) regarded P. glutinosus (sensu lato) as a complex of multiple species, most of which can be recognized only by biochemical characteristics (allele frequencies). Taxa formerly included in P. glutinosus and recognized as distinct species by Highton et al. (1989) include: P. teyahalee, P. chattahoochee, P. chlorobryonis, P. variolatus, P. ocmulgee, P. kiamichi, P. mississippi, P. kisatchie, P. sequoyah, P. grobmani, P. cylindraceus, P. albagula, P. savannah, P. aureolus, and P. kentucki. Some salamander taxonomists question the practice of recognizing species that are distinguished only by differences in allele frequencies, particularly in the absence of direct information on reproductive isolation (Wake, in Highton et al. 1989; Frost and Hillis 1990).

Petranka (1998) regarded P. aureolus, P. kentucki, and P. teyahalee (as P. oconaluftee) as distinct species, but he regarded P. chattahoochee, P. chlorobryonis, P. variolatus, P. ocmulgee, P. kiamichi, P. mississippi, P. kisatchie, P. sequoyah, P. grobmani, P. cylindraceus, P. albagula, and P. savannah as conspecific with (and junior synonyms of) P. glutinosus. Petranka felt that the split of P. glutinosus into multiple species was premature because of the lack of detailed information on genetic interactions at contact zones between the nominal taxa.

Southern Alabama and southern Georgia south to central Florida (Highton et al. 1989, Conant and Collins 1991).