NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Brown-backed Salamander
Eurycea aquatica Rose & Bush, 1963
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The brownback salamander (Eurycea aquatica) is a species of brook salamander. Its range includes parts of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, where it occurs in natural freshwater springs typically abundant in watercress. Once considered an ecotype of the southern two-lined salamander, the brownback salamander was subsequently raised to full species status based on molecular evidence.
Wikipedia contributors, Brownback salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:59:27.799324+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Eurycea aquatica Rose & Bush, 1963
- Name authority
- Rose & Bush, 1963
- Common name
- Brown-backed Salamander
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Caudata
- Family
- Plethodontidae
- Genus
- Eurycea
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderCaudata
- familyPlethodontidae Gray, 1850
- subfamilyHemidactyliinae Hallowell, 1856
- genusEurycea Rafinesque, 1822
- speciesEurycea aquatica Rose & Bush, 1963
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Eurycea. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Two-lined SalamanderEurycea bislineata (Green, 1818) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Three-lined SalamanderEurycea guttolineata (Holbrook, 1838) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hillis's Dwarf SalamanderEurycea hillisi Wray, Means & Steppan, 2017 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Long-tailed SalamanderEurycea longicauda (Green, 1818) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cave SalamanderEurycea lucifuga Rafinesque, 1822 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eurycea melanopleura (Cope, 1894) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| San Marcos SalamanderEurycea nana Bishop, 1941 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Texas SalamanderEurycea neotenes Bishop & Wright, 1937 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Fern Bank SalamanderEurycea pterophila Burger, Smith & Potter, 1950 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dwarf SalamanderEurycea quadridigitata (Holbrook, 1842) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Jollyville Plateau SalamanderEurycea tonkawae Chippindale, Price, Wiens & Hillis, 2000 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Oklahoma SalamanderEurycea tynerensis Moore & Hughes, 1939 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Eurycea bislineata aquatica Rose & Bush, 1963 Rose & Bush, 1963 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=173689 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3D3GR. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.