Black shovel-nosed salamander

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Black shovel-nosed salamander
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Plethodontinae
Genus: Desmognathus
Species:
D. melanius
Binomial name
Desmognathus melanius
(Martof, 1956)

The black shovel-nosed salamander (Desmognathus melanius) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States. [1]

It was described in 1956 but was later reclassified as synonymous with the shovelnose salamander (D. marmoratus). However, a 2009 mtDNA study found sufficient genetic divergence to again classify as its own species. [2] It is not recognized by other taxonomic authorities due to it being distinguished by mtDNA studies and problems with mtDNA introgression in the genus Desmognathus , but it is still recognized by Darrel Frost pending publication of counter-evidence. [3] [4]

It is found in the Nantahala River basin of western North Carolina and adjacent Tennessee. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Desmognathus melanius (Martof, 1956) | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  2. Dubois, Alan; Raffaëlli, Jean (March 2009). "A new ergotaxonomy of the family Salamandridae Goldfuss, 1820 (Amphibia, Urodela)". Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-23.
  3. "AmphibiaWeb - Desmognathus marmoratus". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  4. "Desmognathus marmoratus (Moore, 1899) | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2021-12-23.