Eurycea m. multiplicata?

A

andy

Guest
Just returned from a grueling mountain bike training session in the Ouachitas. At the campsite I flipped some rocks in a small, spring-fed stream and found a couple brook salamanders. Currently there are two subspecies, one inhabiting the Ozark Highlands and a Ouachita subspecies, the many-ribbed salamander ( Eurycea m. multiplicata). I plan to return in a couple weeks for the Ouachita Challenge and spend a day herping sphagnum bogs in search of four-toed salamanders (Hemidactylium scutatum). Also, any advice in regards to finding adult gray bellies (Eurycea m. griseogaster) would be appreciated. I really want to photograph an adult; most of the populations in SE Kansas are paedomorphic.

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Hi Andy, you need to get Bonnet and Chippindale(2004), the entire tynerensis-multiplicata-spelaeus complex is due for revision due to molecular data. I'll summarize briefly just in case you don't have access to it.

Animals previously referred to as E. m. multiplicata were found to be more closley related to E. tynerensis than to nominate multiplicata from the Ouchitas. Also, Eurycea (formerly Typhlotrriton) spelaeus was found to be very closely related the tynerensis/griseogaster group. So, there will be at least 5 species now and I'll try to generalize their range for you.

1) All paedomorphic and metamorphosing animals in NE OKlahoma (including the type localities for griseogaster and tynerensis), SE Kansas, NW Arkansas, and all of Missouri will be one species, and should be called tynerensis.

2) Just North of the Arkansas River in Oklahoma are a few scattered populations of a metamorphosing species with a very restricted range. It does not appear to enter Arkansas.

3) All animals on the far eastern half of the Ozark Uplift in Arkansas will be a new species.

4) All multiplicata starting from the western edge of the Ouchitas in OKlahoma and going east till approximately Mena, AR., will be one species, and probably gets called E. multiplicata.

5) All multiplicata in the eastern half of the Arkansas Ouchitas are a new species.

6) Finally, the E. spelaeus analyzed in this study showed 3 distinct lineages, so there could be a few more species coming out of that in the future as well.

I have sites in both AR and MO for metamorphosing
animals if you're interested. I have photos of the animals at

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/13/927.html

and

http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/985/11197.html

Also, last I heard about Kansas, no one has seen a verified multiplicata/tynerensis in decades and it's thought that maybe they were misidentified E. spelaeus larvae all along. Know anything about that?
 
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