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Home/Species/ Cumberland Plateau Salamander

Plethodon kentucki

Mittleman, 1951

Cumberland Plateau Salamander

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105464
Element CodeAAAAD12260
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusPlethodon
Concept Reference
Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Kuchta et al. (2016) note that there is molecular evidence for distinct evolutionary lineages within this taxon (Crother 2017). Previously regarded as conspecific with P. glutinosus (Highton and MacGregor 1983). Highton (2000) stated that allozyme data indicate that P. kentucki likely includes multiple species.

Carr (1996) examined morphological variation in members of the Plethodon glutinosus complex. About 75% of the variation among species was explained by overall body size. Morphological variation appeared to be influenced more by physiographic province than by genetic similarity. Carr found two major morphological groups: a group of small-bodied species occurring primarily in the Coastal Plain physiographic province and a group of large-bodied species occurring outside the Coastal Plain. Plethodon aureolus, from the mountains of Tennessee, was the sole exception to this pattern (clustered with Coastal Plain group). Plethodon kentucki, from the Cumberland Plateau, was morphologically distinctive and did not cluster with either group.
Conservation Status
Review Date2001-11-09
Change Date2001-11-09
Edition Date2001-11-09
Edition AuthorsPague, C. A., and J. C. Mitchell
Range Extent250-20,000 square km (about 100-8000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Small range in four states of the Cumberland Plateau region; locally abundant; much of habitat is unprotected.
Range Extent Comments
Eastern Kentucky, northeastern Tennessee, southern West Virginia, and southwestern Virginia (Petranka 1998). Primarily in the Cumberland Plateau, but extending into the Valley & Ridge of Russell and Washington counties, Virginia.
Occurrences Comments
15 published occurrences, 10 new occurrences by authors of this record, and many Kentucky records from J. McGregor. More expected.
Threat Impact Comments
Deforestation, agriculture, and strip-mining constitute threats.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species is found primarily in wooded slopes, but also in ravines, floodplains, shalebanks, and cave entrances. It is generally under or in rotting logs, stumps, or leaf litter, or under rocks, during the day and goes underground during dry or freezing weather. Eggs are laid in rotting logs, underground, or in rock crevices. Terrestrial breeder.

Ecology

Southeastern Kentucky: survival rate was about 70-90% in adults, 50-70% in 2-3-year-olds; males and females lived up to 13 and 16 years, respectively; population density exhibited little annual variation (Marvin 1996, 2001). Most individuals stayed within 2 m of their original capture site (Marvin 2001).

Reproduction

Southeastern Kentucky (Marvin 1996): eggs deposited in July, hatched in October; mean clutch size was 10; individual females reproduced bienially or less frequently; males matured 3-4 years after hatching, females probably at 4-5 years after hatching.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - Mixed
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
KentuckyS4Yes
TennesseeS1Yes
VirginiaS3Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture——High (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops——High (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranching——High (continuing)
3 - Energy production & mining——Moderate - low
3.2 - Mining & quarrying——Moderate - low
5 - Biological resource use——Moderate - low
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——Moderate - low

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Roadless Areas (2)
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
North Fork PoundJefferson National Forest4,757
References (16)
  1. Blackburn, L., P. Nanjappa, and M. J. Lannoo. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Copyright, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA.
  2. Carr, D. E. 1996. Morphological variation among species and populations of salamanders in the <i>Plethodon glutinosus</i> complex. Herpetologica 52:56-65.
  3. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  4. Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
  5. Frost, D.R. 2020. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Online: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html
  6. Green, N. B., and T. K. Pauley. 1987. Amphibians and reptiles in West Virginia. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. xi + 241 pp.
  7. Highton, R. 1986. Plethodon kentucki. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 382:1-2.
  8. Highton, R. 2000. Detecting cryptic species using allozyme data. Pages 215-241 in R. C. Bruce, R. G. Jaeger, and L. D. Houck, editors. The biology of plethodontid salamanders. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. xiii + 485 pp.
  9. Highton, R., and J. R. MacGregor. 1983. <i>Plethodon kentucki</i> Mittleman: a valid species of Cumberland Plateau woodland salamander. Herpetologica 39:189-200.
  10. Highton, R., and R. B. Peabody. 2000. Geographic protein variation and speciation in salamanders of the <i>Plethodon jordani </i>and <i>Plethodon glutinosus</i> complexes in the southern Appalachian Mountains with the description of four new species. Pages 31-93 in R. C. Bruce, R. G. Jaeger, and L. D. Houck, editors. The biology of plethodontid salamanders. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. xiii + 485 pp.
  11. Kuchta, S.R., A.D. Brown, P.E. Converse, and R. Highton. 2016. Multilocus phylogeography and species delimitation in the Cumberland Plateau Salamander, <i>Plethodon kentucki</i>: incongruence among data sets and methods. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0150022. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150022
  12. Maha, G. C., L. R. Maxson, and R. Highton. 1983. Immunological evidence for the validity of PLETHODON KENTUCKI. J. Herpetol. 17:398-400.
  13. Mahoney, M. J. 2001. Molecular systematics of <i>Plethodon </i>and <i>Aneides </i>(Caudata: Plethodontini): phylogenetic analysis of an old and rapid radiation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 18:174-188.
  14. Marvin, G. A. 1996. Life history and population characteristics of the salamander Plethodon kentucki with a review of Plethodon life histories. American Midland Naturalist 136:385-400.
  15. Marvin, G. A. 2001. Age, growth, and long-term site fidelity in the terrestrial plethodontid salamander PLETHODON KENTUCKI. Copeia 2001:108-117.
  16. Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.