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Desmognathus  Baird, 1850
Taxonomic Serial No.: 173632

(Download Help) Desmognathus TSN 173632

 Taxonomy and Nomenclature
       
  Kingdom: Animalia  
  Taxonomic Rank: Genus  
  Synonym(s): Leurognathus Moore, 1899
  
    Geognathus Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2012
  
    Hydrognathus Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2012
  
  Common Name(s): Dusky Salamanders [English]
  
    Seal Salamanders [English]
  
       
  Taxonomic Status:    
  Current Standing: valid  
       
  Data Quality Indicators:    
  Record Credibility Rating: verified - standards met  
  Global Species Completeness: complete   
  Latest Record Review: 2025   
       

 Taxonomic Hierarchy
       
 KingdomAnimalia  – Animal, animaux, animals  
    SubkingdomBilateria  – triploblasts  
       InfrakingdomDeuterostomia   
          PhylumChordata  – cordés, cordado, chordates  
             SubphylumVertebrata  – vertebrado, vertébrés, vertebrates  
                InfraphylumGnathostomata   
                   SuperclassTetrapoda   
                      ClassAmphibia  – amphibiens, anfíbio, Amphibians  
                         OrderCaudata  – salamandres, salamandra, Salamanders  
                            FamilyPlethodontidae Gray, 1850 – Lungless Salamanders  
                               SubfamilyPlethodontinae Gray, 1850 – Plethodontine Salamanders  
                                  GenusDesmognathus Baird, 1850 – Dusky Salamanders, Seal Salamanders  
    Direct Children:  
                                     Species Desmognathus abditus Anderson and Tilley, 2003 – Cumberland Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus adatsihi Pyron and Beamer, 2022  
                                     Species Desmognathus aeneus Brown and Bishop, 1947 – Seepage Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus amphileucus Bishop, 1941  
                                     Species Desmognathus anicetus Pyron and Beamer, 2023  
                                     Species Desmognathus apalachicolae Means and Karlin, 1989 – Apalachicola Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus aureatus (Martof, 1956)  
                                     Species Desmognathus auriculatus (Holbrook, 1838) – Southern Dusky Salamander, Holbrook's Southern Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus bairdi Pyron and Beamer, 2023  
                                     Species Desmognathus balsameus Pyron and Beamer, 2022  
                                     Species Desmognathus brimleyorum Stejneger, 1895 – Ouachita Salamander, Ouachita Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus campi Pyron and Beamer, 2023  
                                     Species Desmognathus carolinensis Dunn, 1916 – Carolina Mountain Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus catahoula Pyron and Beamer, 2023  
                                     Species Desmognathus cheaha Pyron, O'Connell, Duncan, Burbrink and Beamer, 2023  
                                     Species Desmognathus conanti Rossman, 1958 – Spotted Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus folkertsi Camp, Tilley, Austin and Marshall, 2002 – Dwarf Blackbellied Salamander, Dwarf Black-bellied Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus fuscus (Green, 1818) – Dusky Salamander, Northern Dusky Salamander, salamandre sombre du nord 
                                     Species Desmognathus gvnigeusgwotli Pyron and Beamer, 2022  
                                     Species Desmognathus imitator Dunn, 1927 – Imitator Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus intermedius (Pope, 1928)  
                                     Species Desmognathus kanawha Pyron and Beamer, 2022  
                                     Species Desmognathus lycos Pyron and Beamer, 2023  
                                     Species Desmognathus marmoratus (Moore, 1899) – Shovel-nosed Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus mavrokoilius Pyron and Beamer, 2022  
                                     Species Desmognathus monticola Dunn, 1916 – Seal Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope, 1859 – Mountain Dusky Salamander, salamandre des montagnes, Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus ocoee Nicholls, 1949 – Ocoee Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus orestes Tilley and Mahoney, 1996 – Blue Ridge Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus organi Crespi, Browne and Rissler, 2010 – Northern Pygmy Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus pascagoula Pyron, O'Connell, Lamb and Beamer, 2022  
                                     Species Desmognathus perlapsus Neill, 1950  
                                     Species Desmognathus planiceps Newman, 1955 – Flat-headed Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus santeetlah Tilley, 1981 – Yellow Dusky Salamander, Santeetlah Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus tilleyi Pyron and Beamer, 2023  
                                     Species Desmognathus valentinei Means, Lamb and Bernardo, 2017 – Valentine's Southern Dusky Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus valtos Pyron and Beamer, 2022  
                                     Species Desmognathus welteri Barbour, 1950 – Black Mountain Salamander 
                                     Species Desmognathus wrighti King, 1936 – Pygmy Salamander 
       

 References
       
  Expert(s):    
  Expert: Roy W. McDiarmid  
  Notes: U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center   
  Reference for: Desmognathus    
       
  Other Source(s):    
  Source: Amphibian Species of the World 6.2 2025-09-15, database (version 6.2)  
  Acquired: 2025   
  Notes: Frost, Darrel R. 2025. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.2 (15 September, 2025). lectronic Database accessible at https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/index.php American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA   
  Reference for: Desmognathus   
       
  Source: Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference v6, database (version 6.0)  
  Acquired: 2019   
  Notes: Frost, Darrel R. 2019. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6 (12 September, 2019). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA   
  Reference for: Desmognathus   
       
  Source: NODC Taxonomic Code, database (version 8.0)  
  Acquired: 1996   
  Notes:    
  Reference for: Desmognathus   
       
  Publication(s):    
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, and A. L. Gardner  
  Publication Date: 1987   
  Article/Chapter Title: Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada   
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Resource Publication, no. 166   
  Page(s): 79   
  Publisher: United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service   
  Publication Place: Washington, D.C., USA   
  ISBN/ISSN:    
  Notes:    
  Reference for: Desmognathus   
       
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Crother, Brian I., Jeff Boundy, Frank T. Burbrink, et al. / Moriarty, John J., ed.  
  Publication Date: 2008   
  Article/Chapter Title: Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, With Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, Sixth Ed.   
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Herpetological Circular No. 37   
  Page(s): 1-84   
  Publisher: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles   
  Publication Place:    
  ISBN/ISSN: 0-916984-74-5   
  Notes: Available free as a PDF at http://ssarherps.org/pages/HerpCommNames.php   
  Reference for: Desmognathus, Dusky Salamanders [English]   
       
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Crother, Brian I., Ronald M. Bonett, Jeff Boundy, Frank T. Burbrink, et al. / Moriarty, John J., ed.  
  Publication Date: 2017   
  Article/Chapter Title: Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, Eighth Ed.   
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Herpetological Circular, no. 43   
  Page(s): 102   
  Publisher:    
  Publication Place:    
  ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-946681-003   
  Notes: Available free as PDF, and as updated database, at https://ssarherps.org/publications/north-american-checklist/   
  Reference for: Dusky Salamanders[English]   
       

 Geographic Information
       
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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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