Desmognathus is a genus of lungless salamanders in the family Plethodontidae known as dusky salamanders.[1][2] They range throughout the eastern United States as far west as Texas, and north to southeastern Canada.[1]

Desmognathus
Ocoee salamander (Desmognathus ocoee)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Plethodontinae
Genus: Desmognathus
Baird, 1850
Species

See table.

Characteristics

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Species of the genus Desmognathus have a unique jaw-opening mechanism where the lower jaw is stationary and the skull swings open.[3] There are additional stalked condyles, an atlanto-mandibular ligament, along with other skeletal and musculature features that have evolved to accompany this type of jaw-opening mechanism.[3] Additionally, they are known to exhibit maternal care by brooding over their eggs.[3]

 
An unidentified Desmognathus species as seen in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN.

Species

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This genus includes the following 39-40 species:[1]

Binomial Name and Author Common Name
Desmognathus abditus
Anderson & Tilley, 2003
Cumberland dusky salamander
Desmognathus adatsihi
Pyron and Beamer, 2022
Cherokee mountain dusky salamander
Desmognathus aeneus
Brown & Bishop, 1947
Seepage salamander
Desmognathus amphileucus
Bishop, 1941
Nantahala blackbelly salamander
Desmognathus anicetus
Pyron and Beamer, 2023
Foothills dusky salamander
Desmognathus apalachicolae
Means & Karlin, 1989
Apalachicola dusky salamander
Desmognathus aureatus
(Martof, 1956)
Golden shovelnose salamander
Desmognathus auriculatus
(Holbrook, 1838)
Holbrook's southern dusky salamander
Desmognathus bairdi
Pyron and Beamer, 2023
Piedmont dusky salamander
Desmognathus balsameus
Pyron and Beamer, 2022
Great Balsams mountain dusky salamander
Desmognathus brimleyorum
Stejneger, 1895
Ouachita dusky salamander
Desmognathus campi
Pyron and Beamer, 2023
Savannah dusky salamander
Desmognathus carolinensis
Dunn, 1916
Carolina mountain dusky salamander
Desmognathus catahoula
Pyron and Beamer, 2023
Catahoula spotted dusky salamander
Desmognathus cheaha
Pyron and Beamer, 2023
Talladega seal salamander
Desmognathus conanti
Rossman, 1958
Spotted dusky salamander
Desmognathus folkertsi
Camp, Tilley, Austin & Marshall, 2002
Dwarf blackbelly salamander
Desmognathus fuscus
(Rafinesque, 1820)
Northern dusky salamander
Desmognathus gvnigeusgwotli
Pyron and Beamer, 2022
Cherokee blackbelly salamander
Desmognathus imitator
Dunn, 1927
Imitator salamander
Desmognathus intermedius
(Pope, 1928)
Central shovelnose salamander
Desmognathus kanawha
Pyron and Beamer, 2022
Kanawha blackbelly salamander
Desmognathus lycos
Pyron and Beamer, 2023
Wolf dusky salamander
Desmognathus marmoratus
(Moore, 1899)
Shovelnose salamander
Desmognathus mavrokoilius
Pyron and Beamer, 2022
Pisgah blackbelly salamander
Desmognathus monticola
Dunn, 1916
Seal salamander
Desmognathus ochrophaeus
Cope, 1859
Allegheny mountain dusky salamander
Desmognathus ocoee
Nicholls, 1949
Ocoee dusky salamander
Desmognathus orestes
Tilley & Mahoney, 1996
Blue Ridge dusky salamander
Desmognathus organi
Crespi & Browne, 2010
Northern pygmy salamander
Desmognathus pascagoula
Pyron, O'Connell, Lamb, and Beamer, 2022
Pascagoula dusky salamander
Desmognathus perlapsus
Neill, 1950
Tallulah dusky salamander
Desmognathus planiceps
Newman, 1955
Flat-headed salamander
Desmognathus quadramaculatus
(Holbrook, 1840)
Blackbelly salamander (defunct)
Desmognathus santeetlah
Tilley, 1981
Santeetlah dusky salamander
Desmognathus tilleyi
Pyron and Beamer, 2023
Max Patch dusky salamander
Desmognathus valentinei
Means, Lamb, and Bernardo, 2017
Valentine's southern dusky salamander
Desmognathus valtos
Pyron and Beamer, 2022
Carolina swamp dusky salamander
Desmognathus welteri
Barbour, 1950
Black Mountain dusky salamander
Desmognathus wrighti
King, 1936
Pygmy salamander

References

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  1. ^ a b c Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Desmognathus Baird, 1850". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Plethodontidae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b c Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-12-386919-7.
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Further reading

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  • Baird SF. 1850. Revision of the North American Tailed-Batrachia, with descriptions of new genera and species. J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Series 2, 1: 281–294. (Desmognathus, new genus, p. 282).