Plethodon virginia

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	CAUDATA	PLETHODONTIDAE

Scientific Name:

Plethodon virginia

Species Authority:

Highton, 1999

Common Name/s:

English

–

Shenandoah Mountain Salamander

Taxonomic Notes:

This species was recently separated from Plethodon hoffmani (see Highton 1999).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Near Threatened ver 3.1
Year Published:	2004
Assessor/s:	Geoffrey Hammerson
Reviewer/s:	Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young)
Justification: Listed as Near Threatened because, although its Extent of Occurrence is less than 20,000 km2, it occurs in a habitat that is not under significant threat, and so it is probably not in decline.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species can be found in eastern West Virginia and adjacent north-western Virginia, USA, from 1,100-1,200m asl. Highton (1999) mapped 28 collection sites, and six sites where hybrids with Plethodon hoffmani occur.
Countries:	Native: United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species' population status is not known but it is presumed to be stable.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is often found under objects in wooded areas. Eggs are laid in moist cavities, where they develop directly without a larval stage.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It is not known what threats there are to this species, which is unlikely to be seriously threatened, although some populations are probably affected locally by clear-cutting logging.

Major Threat(s):

It is not known what threats there are to this species, which is unlikely to be seriously threatened, although some populations are probably affected locally by clear-cutting logging.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in some protected areas. Additional research is needed on its population status and the threats that it faces.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in some protected areas. Additional research is needed on its population status and the threats that it faces.

Bibliography [top]

	Behler, J.L. and King, F.W. 1979. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York. Blackburn, L., Nanjappa, P. and Lannoo, M.J. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA. Green, N.B. and Pauley, T.K. 1987. Amphibians and Reptiles in West Virginia. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Highton, R. 1986. Plethodon hoffmani. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles: 1-2. Highton, R. 1999. Geographic protein variation and speciation in the salamanders of the Plethodon cinereus group with the description of two new species. Herpetologica: 43-90. IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004. Mahoney, M.J. 2001. Molecular systematics of Plethodon and Aneides (Caudata: Plethodontidae): phylogenetic analysis of an old and rapid radiation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution: 174-188. Martof, B.S., Palmer, W.M., Bailey, J.R. and Harrison III, J.R. 1980. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Petranka, J.W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.

Behler, J.L. and King, F.W. 1979. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York.

Blackburn, L., Nanjappa, P. and Lannoo, M.J. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA.

Green, N.B. and Pauley, T.K. 1987. Amphibians and Reptiles in West Virginia. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Highton, R. 1986. Plethodon hoffmani. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles: 1-2.

Highton, R. 1999. Geographic protein variation and speciation in the salamanders of the Plethodon cinereus group with the description of two new species. Herpetologica: 43-90.

IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004.

Mahoney, M.J. 2001. Molecular systematics of Plethodon and Aneides (Caudata: Plethodontidae): phylogenetic analysis of an old and rapid radiation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution: 174-188.

Martof, B.S., Palmer, W.M., Bailey, J.R. and Harrison III, J.R. 1980. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Petranka, J.W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.

Citation:	Geoffrey Hammerson 2004. Plethodon virginia. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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