Plethodon glutinosus

Amphibian Species of the World (Frost 2021) synonymizes Plethodon grobmani and P. mississippi under P. glutinosus, while other members of the P. glutinosus complex recognized after 1997 are retained pending those taxa being formally addressed. He states, "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.

Carr (1996) examined morphological variation in members of the P. 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.

Large range in the eastern U.S.; taxonomic scope of the species is debatable, but rank is G5 even with the most restrictive application of the name P. glutinosus.

Plethodon glutinosus complex: southern New Hampshire (disjunct), western Connecticut, and New York south to central Florida, west to Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and south-central Texas (disjunct) (Petranka 1998).

Plethodon glutinosus sensu Highton et al. (1989): northeastern United States to central Illinois, south to central Alabama, central Georgia, western Virginia, northern Maryland, and central New Jersey.

This species, whether defined in the broad sense (e.g., Petranka 1998) or more narrowly (e.g., sensu Highton et al. 1989), is represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout most of the range.

Intensive harvest of mature forest greatly reduces salamander density in the logged area; population recovery occurs slowly (Herbeck and Larsen 1999). However, logging does not constitute a major threat to the security of the global population.