Gyrinophilus palleucus McCrady, 1954

Taxonomy and Common Name

Gyrinophilus palleucus, commonly called the Tennessee cave salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the Appalachian Mountains of the United States.

Natural Habitat

Its natural habitats are streams found inside caves.

Conservation Status

The species is currently threatened by habitat loss.

Geographic Range

The Tennessee cave salamander lives on the southern Cumberland Plateau within the U.S. Appalachian Mountains, and its documented range includes south-central Tennessee, western North Carolina, northeastern Alabama, northwestern Alabama, and northwestern Georgia.

Cave Occupation

It inhabits cave systems, and it is likely present in some currently unexplored cave systems.

Diet

The diet of the Tennessee cave salamander is made up of amphipods and other small aquatic invertebrates that live in caves.

Substrate and Water Preferences

It can be found on sand, gravel, mud, or rock substrates in cave streams, rimstone pools, and isolated pools, and it prefers clear, sediment-free water.

Occurrence Outside Caves

Individuals are occasionally spotted outside of caves, and this is thought to happen when they are accidentally washed out by floodwater.

Paedomorphy

This species is usually paedomorphic, meaning it retains its larval form throughout its entire life.

Reproduction and Development

Paedomorphic Tennessee cave salamanders are able to breed while still in their larval state, though some individuals do continue developing and complete metamorphosis in the typical manner.