A New Subspecies of the Salamander Desmognathus fuscus

Abstract

HOLOTYPE.-United States National Museum No. 129312; adult male collected June 14, 1948, at an elevation of 2300 feet above sea level, at Looney Creek, near Lynch, Harlan County, Kentucky, by Roger W. Barbour. PARATYPES.-University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, Nos. 360005; 6 specimens, collected June 7, 1948, from a spring at an elevation of 4000 feet above sea level, Big Black Mountain. Carnegie Museum, Nos. 2912136; 16 specimens, collected June 13, 1948, from a spring run, elevation 4100 feet, Big Black Mountain. Chicago Natural History Museum, Nos. 6114166; 26 specimens, collected July 9, 1948, from Razor Fork, elevation 3600 feet, Big Black Mountain. American Museum of Natural History, Nos. 54711-41; 31 specimens, collected July 9, 1948, from Razor Fork, elevation 3600 feet, Big Black Mountain. Cornell University, Nos. 5495-5508; 14 specimens, collected July 7, 1948, from the west fork of Looney Creek, elevation 2600 feet, Big Black Mountain. Personal collection of Roger W. Barbour, Nos. BM 1-23; 23 specimens collected June 6, 1948, from a spring run at an elevation of 4000 feet above sea level, Big Black Mountain. United States National Museum, Nos. 129313-54; 42 topotypes. All paratypes are from Harlan County and were collected by the author. DIAGNOSIS.-A well-marked population, differing from typical fuscus in the following particulars: size larger, adult males to 166 millimeters in total length, females slightly smaller; belly usually darker, with dark spots or irregular markings; usually without a median dorsal band, but with numerous brown to black irregular blotches. Testes of adult males reticulated with brown to black pigment; in young males the pigmentation forms discrete stellate blotches; vomerine teeth in short series, varying from 5 to 10 in females, and from 3 to 6 in males; vomerine teeth usually lacking in adult males. The population may be separated from Desmognathus monticola, which it superficially resembles, by a number of characters. In monticola the dorsal pattern consists of a series of paired or alternating light spots usually surrounded by darker areas; in welteri the dorsal pattern, though variable, usually consists of dark spots on a lighter ground color. Usually the belly of monticola is immaculate, that of welteri mottled. In monticola, the sides of