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Home/Species/ Western Slimy Salamander

Plethodon albagula

Grobman, 1944

Western Slimy Salamander

G5Secure Found in 9 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101826
Element CodeAAAAD12350
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusPlethodon
Other Common Names
western slimy salamander (EN)
Concept Reference
Highton, R., G.C. Maha, and L.R. Maxson. 1989. Biochemical evolution in the slimy salamanders of the Plethodon glutinosus complex in the eastern United States. Illinois Biological Monographs 57:1-153.
Taxonomic Comments
There is molecular and morphological evidence for distinct evolutionary lineages within this taxon (Baird et al. 2006, Davis and Pauly 2011) (Crother 2017). Wiens et al. (2006) suggested the possibility that Plethodon albagula and P. sequoyah are conspecific but Highton et al. (2012) rejected this hypothesis (Frost 2020).
Conservation Status
Review Date2007-09-10
Change Date2001-10-31
Edition Date2007-09-10
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent Comments
Southern Missouri, the highlands of northern and western Arkansas, the northern and central portions of eastern Oklahoma, and the Balcones Escarpment area of southcentral Texas; also assigned to this species are populations from Independence, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Scott, and Van Buren counties, Arkansas; and Warren County, Missouri (north of the Missouri River) (Highton et al. 1989). See map in Conant and Collins (1991). See Baird et al. (2006) for information suggesting that this range may encompass multiple species that are currently assinged to P. albagula.
Occurrences Comments
Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout most of the range.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Commonly under rocks or logs in damp ravines and moist wooded hillsides; may retreat underground or burrow into piles of leaf litter in dry summer weather; sometimes occurs in the twilight zone of caves (Missouri, Johnson 1987). Wooded ravines and floodplains, along shale banks of rivers and streams, cave entrances (Texas, Garrett and Barker 1987). Eggs are laid in damp protected locations underground, under rotten logs, or in other damp vegetative debris. No aquatic larval stage.

Ecology

Basically sedentary.

Reproduction

Female remains with eggs until hatching in late summer or early fall. Sexually mature in 3 years (Garrett and Barker 1987).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - Hardwood
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OklahomaSNRYes
MissouriS5Yes
TexasS4Yes
ArkansasS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial development——High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas——High (continuing)
5 - Biological resource use——High (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (9)
Arkansas (9)
AreaForestAcres
Bear MountainOuachita National Forest1,910
Blue MountainOuachita National Forest9,755
Brush HeapOuachita National Forest4,205
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Indian CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,855
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
References (18)
  1. Baird, A. M., J. K. Krejka, J. R. Reddell, C. E. Peden, M. J. Mahoney, and D. M. Hillis. 2006. Phylogeographic structure and color pattern variation among populations of <i>Plethodon albagula</i> on the Edwards Plateau of central Texas. Copeia 2006;760-768.
  2. 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.
  3. Collins, J. T., and T. W. Taggart. 2002. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians, turtles, reptiles, & crocodilians. Fifth edition. Publication of The Center for North American Herpetology, Lawrence, Kansas. iv + 44 pp.
  4. Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
  5. 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]
  6. Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Queiroz, D. R. Frost, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., T. W. Taggart, S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2000 [2001]. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 29. 82 pp.
  7. Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Quieroz, D. Frost, D. M. Green, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, R. W. McDiarmid, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2003. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico: update. Herpetological Review 34:198-203.
  8. Davis, D. R., and G. B. Pauly. 2011. Morphological variation among populations of the Western Slimy Salamander on the Edwards Plateau of central Texas. Copeia 2011:103-112.
  9. Elliott, W. R. 2003. A guide to Missouri's cave life: 70 species brought to life. Missouri Department of Conservation. 37 pp.
  10. 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
  11. Garrett, J. M., and D. G. Barker. 1987. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Texas. Texas Monthly Press, Austin, Texas. 225 pp.
  12. Highton, R., A. P. Hatings, C. Palmer, R. Watts, C. A. Hass, M. Culver, and S. J. Arnold. 2012. Concurrent speciation in the eastern woodland salamanders (genus <i>Plethodon</i>): DNA sequences of the complete albumin nuclear and partial mitochondrial 12s genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 63:278–290.
  13. Highton, R., G.C. Maha, and L.R. Maxson. 1989. Biochemical evolution in the slimy salamanders of the <i>Plethodon glutinosus</I> complex in the eastern United States. Illinois Biological Monographs 57:1-153.
  14. Johnson, T. R. 1987. The amphibians and reptiles of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City. 368 pp.
  15. Johnson, T. R. 2000. The amphibians and reptiles of Missouri. Second edition. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City. 400 pp.
  16. 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.
  17. Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
  18. Wiens, J. J., T. N. Engstrom, and P. T. Chippindale. 2006. Rapid diversification, incomplete isolation, and the "speciation clock" in North American salamanders (genus <i>Plethodon</i>): testing the hybrid swarm hypothesis of rapid radiation. Evolution 60(12):2585-2603.