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Spotted dusky salamander

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(Redirected from Desmognathus conanti) Species of salamander

Spotted dusky salamander
Conservation status

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Plethodontinae
Genus: Desmognathus
Species: D. conanti
Binomial name
Desmognathus conanti
Rossman, 1958
Synonyms

Desmognathus fuscus conanti

The spotted dusky salamander (Desmognathus conanti) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.

Taxonomy

Desmognathus conanti was described in 1958 by Douglas A. Rossman, but was later reclassified as a subspecies of the northern dusky salamander (D. fuscus). However, numerous genetic and morphological studies since then have affirmed it as being a distinct species and it was elevated to full specific status in 1996. In addition, genetic studies indicate that D. conanti is paraphyletic with respect to the Santeetlah dusky salamander (D. santeelah), which lies nested within it; thus, D. conanti itself likely represents a species complex of multiple undescribed cryptic species.

Range and Habitat

Desmognathus conanti has a wide range in the southeastern and south-central United States, ranging from southern Illinois south to the panhandle of Florida, and west to Louisiana and southern Arkansas. They are semiaquatic, typically inhabit cool, forested seeps or streams/streamsides.

Description

D. conanti fluorescing

Desmognathus conanti is a medium sized salamander, between 35-40 mm in body length at sexual maturity and is moderately stout with a moderately keeled tail. It is described as having a bright color pattern and colored stripe behind its eyes. It has several pairs of golden spots on the dorsum, which are larval spots often retained as adults that may sometimes fuse to form a light dorsal stripe in adults. The belly is light with dark flecks. It closely resembles D. fuscus and D. santeetlah, and is thus best distinguished from them by range.

Mating

Females typically move or turn away as males approach and the males must follow slowly after the female. The male will perform a variety of movements including a jerking movement with its head, a “butterfly” movement with its forelimbs(where it swings them in circular motions simultaneously) a nudge of the female with the head, a head rub, or tail undulation. With the male’s tail undulating, it will attempt to slide the stationary female onto it and essentially drag her forward and deposit his spermatophore in order for her to receive it through her cloaca.

References

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  2. ^ "Desmognathus conanti Rossman, 1958 | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  3. "AmphibiaWeb - Desmognathus conanti". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  4. ^ "Spotted Dusky Salamander | Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency". www.tn.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  5. T. A Titus and A Larson 1996. Molecular phylogenetics of desmognathine salamanders (Caudata: Plethodontidae): a reevaluation of evolution in ecology, life history, and morphology. Systematic Biology 45:451–472
  6. Beamer, David A.; Lamb, Trip (2008-04-01). "Dusky salamanders (Desmognathus, Plethodontidae) from the Coastal Plain: Multiple independent lineages and their bearing on the molecular phylogeny of the genus". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 47 (1): 143–153. Bibcode:2008MolPE..47..143B. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.015. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 18337126.
  7. Pyron, R. Alexander; O'Connell, Kyle A.; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Lemmon, Alan R.; Beamer, David A. (2020-05-01). "Phylogenomic data reveal reticulation and incongruence among mitochondrial candidate species in Dusky Salamanders (Desmognathus)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 146: 106751. Bibcode:2020MolPE.14606751P. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106751. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 32028035. S2CID 211047139.
  8. Verrell, P.A. (1995), The courtship behaviour of the spotted dusky salamander, Desmognathus fuscus conanti (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae). Journal of Zoology, 235: 515-523.
  9. G.A. Marvin, R. Bryan, J. Hardwick. Effect of chronic low body temperature on feeding and gut passage in a plethodontid salamander Journal of Thermal Biology, 69 (2017), pp. 319- 324, 10.1016/J.JTHERBIO.2017.09.003
  10. Bonett, R. M. (2002). Analysis of the Contact Zone between the Dusky Salamanders Desmognathus fuscus fuscus and Desmognathus fuscus conanti (Caudata: Plethodontidae). Copeia, 2002(2), 344–355. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1448049
  11. "Species Profile: Northern / Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus / conanti) | SREL Herpetology". srelherp.uga.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  12. "Spotted Dusky Salamander – INHS Herpetology Collection". Retrieved 2021-12-23.
  13. Verrell, P.A. (1995), The courtship behaviour of the spotted dusky salamander, Desmognathus fuscus conanti (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae). Journal of Zoology, 235: 515-523.
Taxon identifiers
Desmognathus conanti
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