Since publication of Atlas of Amphibians in Tennessee (Redmond, W. H. and A. F. Scott. 1996. The Center for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. 94 pp.), several applicable taxonomic and nomenclatural changes and numerous reports of new county records have appeared in the literature. Comments, accompanied by cited references, on taxonomic and nomenclatural changes plus bibliographical information on new county records as they pertain to Gyrinophilus palleucus follow:

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Changes

In the years since publication of Atlas of Amphibians in Tennessee, the subspecies Gyrinophilus p. gulolineatus (Berry Cave Salamander) has been recognized by some (e.g. Crother 2000, Frost 2004, ITIS 2006) as a full species.  This was done based on the recommendations of Brandon et al. (1986) and Collins (1991), plus an earlier suggestion by Simmons (1976). The most current distribution maps for the species of this complex in Tennessee are provided by Niemiller and Reynolds (2011).

Brandon, R.A., J. Jacobs, A. Wynn, and D.M. Sever.  1986.  A naturally metamorphosed Tennessee Cave Salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus).  Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 61:1-2.

Collins, J.T.  1991.  Viewpoint: A new taxonomic arrangement for some North American amphibians and reptiles.  Herpetological Review 22:42-43.

Frost, D.R. 2004. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 3.0 (22 August, 2004). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.  Accessed 14 February 2006. 

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) on-line database, http://www.itis.usda.gov. Retrieved 14 February 2006.

Niemiller and R. G. Reynolds (eds.). 2011. The amphibians of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 369 pp.

Simmons, D.  1976.  A naturally metamorphosed Gyrinophilus palleucus (Amphibia, Urodela, Plethodontidae).  Journal of Herpetology 10:255-257.

New County Records for Gyrinophilus palleucus

Samoray, S. T. and H. R. Garland. 2002. Geographic distribution. Gyrinophilus palleucus. Herpetol. Rev. 33:316.

Coffee, Marshall, and Maury Counties 

Miller, B. T. and M. L. Niemiller.  2008.  Distribution and relative abundance of Tennessee Cave Salamanders (Gyrinophilus palleucus and Gyrinophilus gulolineatus) with an emphasis on Tennessee populations.  Herpetological Conservation and Biology 3:1-20.

Sequatchie County 

Niemiller, M. L., B. M. Fitzpatrick, and B. T. Miller.  2008.  Recent divergence with gene flow in Tennessee cave salamanders (Plethodontidae: Gyrinophilus) inferred from gene genealogies. Molecular Ecology 17:2258-2275.

The specimens from Stone Cave on which this new county record is based were first reported as G. porphyriticus (Miller, B. T. and M. L. Niemiller.  2008.  Distribution and relative abundance of Tennessee Cave Salamanders (Gyrinophilus palleucus and Gyrinophilus gulolineatus) with an emphasis on Tennessee populations.  Herpetological Conservation and Biology 3:1-20), but with the following qualification: Pending genetic analyses, we tentatively identified the Stone Cave population as G. porphyriticus.  Subsequent genetic analyses revealed them to be Gyrinophilus palleucus.

New County Records for Gyrinophilus gulolineatus

Meigs County

Niemiller, M. L. and B. T. Miller. 2011. Berry Cave Salamander. Pp. 172-174 In M. L. Niemiller and R. G. Reynolds (eds.), The amphibians of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 369 pp.