Gyrinophilus palleucus
McRady 1954
| ORDER | FAMILY |
|---|---|
| Urodela | Plethodontidae |
Synonyms
None.
Common name is Tennessee Cave Salamander
Country
USA, Interior Low PlateauDistribution
Maxwell et al. (2026) report the first confirmed observation of Gyrinophilus palleucus (Tennessee Cave Salamander), a top predator of the aquatic food web, at Shelta Cave in 57 years, during a biosurvey of the cave system in March 2025
Habitat
This species is stygobitic (i.e. aquatic)
Conservation Status
[VU B2ab(iii, v)]
Key References
- McCrady, (1954)
- Miller, B.T. and Niemiller, M. (2008)
- Huntsman, B.M., Venarsky, M.P., Benstead, J.P., and Huryn, A.D. (2011)
- Venarsky, M.P., Huntsman, B.M., Huryn, A.D., Benstead, J.P. and Kuhajda, B.R. (2014)
- Niemiller, M.L., Glorioso, B.M., Fenolio, D.B., Reynolds, R.G., Taylor, S.J. and Miller, B.T., (2016)
- IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2024)
- Maxwell, E.C., Koltz, A., Stamn, J., Beatty, C., Boudreaux, C., Carbonare, J., Clasper, C., Harden, L., Harris, J., Lawmaster, K., Lee, J., Polk, J., Polk, J., Yeager, R., Arantes, I.C., et al. (2026)
| McCrady, | Journal Article | 1954 | Gyrinophilus palleucus |
| Miller, B.T. and Niemiller, M. | Journal Article | 2008 | Distribution and relative abundance of Tennessee Cave Salamanders (Gyrinophilus palleucus and Gyrinophilus gulolineatus) with an emphasis on Tennessee populations |
| Huntsman, B.M., Venarsky, M.P., Benstead, J.P., and Huryn, A.D. | Journal Article | 2011 | Effects of organic matter availability on the life history and production of a top vertebrate predator (Plethodontidae: Gyrinophilus palleucus) in two cave streams |
| Venarsky, M.P., Huntsman, B.M., Huryn, A.D., Benstead, J.P. and Kuhajda, B.R. | Journal Article | 2014 | Quantitative food web analysis supports the energy‑limitation hypothesis in cave stream ecosystems |
| Niemiller, M.L., Glorioso, B.M., Fenolio, D.B., Reynolds, R.G., Taylor, S.J. and Miller, B.T., | Journal Article | 2016 | Growth, survival, longevity, and population size of the Big Mouth Cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides) from the type locality in Grundy County, Tennessee, USA |
| IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group | Book | 2024 | Amphibian conservation action plan: A status review and roadmap for global amphibian conservation |
| Maxwell, E.C., Koltz, A., Stamn, J., Beatty, C., Boudreaux, C., Carbonare, J., Clasper, C., Harden, L., Harris, J., Lawmaster, K., Lee, J., Polk, J., Polk, J., Yeager, R., Arantes, I.C., et al. | Journal Article | 2026 | Rediscovery of the Tennessee cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus) McCrady at Shelta Cave, Madison County, Alabama, USA, a former subterranean hotspot cave |