Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides
{{Short description|Subspecies of amphibian}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Subspeciesbox
|image = Gyrinophilus_palleucus_necturoides.jpg
|name = Big Mouth Cave salamander
|status = T1
|status_system = TNC
|genus= Gyrinophilus
|species = palleucus
|species_link = Tennessee cave salamander
|subspecies = necturoides
|authority = Lazell and Brandon, 1962
}}
Gyrinophilus palleucus necturoides, the Big Mouth Cave salamander, a lungless salamander, is a subspecies of the Tennessee cave salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus). The Big Mouth Cave salamander lives in Big Mouth Cave and other caves in the Elk River drainage basin in Grundy County and Coffee County, Tennessee. The salamander was first described by Lazell and Brandon in 1962.{{Cite journal |last=Lazell |first=J. D. |last2=R. A. Brandon |year=1962 |title=A new stygian salamander from the Southern Cumberland Plateau. |journal=Copeia |volume=1962 |issue=2 |pages=300–306 |doi=10.2307/1440894 |jstor=1440894}}
Conservation status
While the TNC rates the Big Mouth Cave salamander as "critically imperiled", IUCN claims it is only "vulnerable".{{cite iucn |author=Geoffrey Hammerson|author2= Christopher Beachy |year=2004 |title=Gyrinophilus palleucus |page=e.T59281A11896704 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T59281A11896704.en |access-date=23 October 2023}} A study in 2007 by Brian T. Miller and Matthew L. Niemiller investigated the actual population size of the subspecies. They determined that the subspecies was actually abundant in Big Mouth Cave and other caves, contrary to popular concern.{{cite journal|last=Miller|first=Brian T.|author2=Matthew L. Niemiller|title=DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF TENNESSEE CAVE SALAMANDERS|journal=Herpetological Conservation and Biology|date=December 2007|url=http://www.herpetology.us/niemiller/_Media/miller_niemiller_2008.pdf|access-date=2008-05-01|archive-date=2011-10-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003213231/http://www.herpetology.us/niemiller/_Media/miller_niemiller_2008.pdf|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q5625430}}
Category:Fauna of the Eastern United States
Category:Critically endangered fauna of the United States
Category:Endemic fauna of Tennessee
{{Plethodontidae-stub}}