The Genus Desmognathus in Kentucky. I. Desmognathus fuscus welteri Barbour

Abstract

Since the description of Desmognathus fuscus welteri by Barbour (1950), there have been few papers concerning this race. This paper is a summary of our findings concerning the morphological characteristics, habitat, distribution, and reproduction of this race in Kentucky. Almost all the literature record's of Desmognathus fuscus in Kentucky are listed under D. f. fuscus, since the great majority of the publications antedate the description of D. f. welteri. In the following summary of the literature records, all, except where otherwise noted, were listed under D. f. fuscus. Garman (1894) was apparently the first to record the species from the state with his Pulaski County record. Bishop (1926) listed the species from Breathitt County. Dunn (1926) examined specimens from Bell, Breathitt, Edmonson, Morgan, and Nelson counties. Pope (1928) recorded 104 specimens from Harlan County. Burt (1933) listed specimens from Bell, Cumberland, Estill, Harlan, Knott, Letcher, Metcalfe, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Rockcastle, Wayne, and Whitley counties. Dury and Williams (1933) took specimens from Breathitt, Carter, Harlan, Kenton, Laurel, and Woodford counties. Hibbard (1936) recorded the species from Mammoth Cave National Park Proposed, encompassing parts of Barren, Edtmonson, and Warren counties. Welter and Carr (1939) reported specimens from Carter and Rowan counties. Adams (1939) mentioned specimens from the counties of Breathitt, Knott, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, and Perry. Green (1941) reported specitnens from Carter county. Barbour (op. cit.) examined specimens of D. f. welteri from Bath, Carter, Elliot, Harlan, Menifee, Pulaski, and Warren counties in Kentucky, and Wise county, Virginia. Barbour (1953) recorded a series of 761 individuals of D. f. welteri from Harlan county. During the past fifteen years the senior author has accumulated a series of D. fuscus from Kentucky; all are currently deposited in the zoological collections of the University of Kentucky. They are from widespread localities in Kentucky, and all agree in most particulars with topotypical material of D. f. welteri from Harlan country. Apparently, Desmognathus fuscus is represented in Kentucky by a single subspecies, D. f. welteri. Credit is due the Research Fund Committee of the University of Kentucky for financing numerous field trips in the last five years, and many individuals for assistance in collecting specimens. The tedious chore of examining the specimens and recording data was done by the junior author. The sex, snout-vent length, tail length, number of costal grooves, number 352