Desmognathus aureatus (Martof, 1956)
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.
Southern Shovel-nosed Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus aureatus)
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Open encyclopedia reference
The golden shovel-nosed salamander (Desmognathus aureatus) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.
It was described in 1956 but was later reclassified as synonymous with the shovelnose salamander (D. marmoratus). However, a 2009 mtDNA study found sufficient genetic divergence to again classify as its own species. It is not recognized by other taxonomic authorities due to it being distinguished by mtDNA studies and problems with mtDNA introgression in the genus Desmognathus, but it is still recognized by Darrel Frost pending publication of counter-evidence.
It is found in the Chattahoochee, Tallulah, and Chattooga river basins of Georgia and adjacent parts of South Carolina.
Wikipedia contributors, Golden shovel-nosed salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T15:56:36.696305+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Desmognathus aureatus (Martof, 1956)
- Name authority
- (Martof, 1956)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Caudata
- Family
- Plethodontidae
- Genus
- Desmognathus
- 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
- subfamilyPlethodontinae Gray, 1850
- genusDesmognathus Baird, 1850
- speciesDesmognathus aureatus (Martof, 1956)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Desmognathus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Apalachicola Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus apalachicolae Means & Karlin, 1989 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Imitator SalamanderDesmognathus imitator Dunn, 1927 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Shovel-nosed SalamanderDesmognathus marmoratus (Moore, 1899) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Seal SalamanderDesmognathus monticola Dunn, 1916 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ocoee SalamanderDesmognathus ocoee Nicholls, 1949 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Flat-headed SalamanderDesmognathus planiceps Newman, 1955 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Valentine's Southern Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus valentinei Means, Lamb & Bernardo, 2017 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black Mountain SalamanderDesmognathus welteri Barbour, 1950 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Carolina Mountain Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus carolinensis Dunn, 1916 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Desmognathus intermedius (Pope, 1928) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Desmognathus valtos Pyron & Beamer, 2022 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Desmognathus tilleyi Pyron & Beamer, 2023 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Leurognathus marmorata aureata Martof, 1956 Martof, 1956 | synonym |
| Leurognathus marmorata roborata Martof, 1956 Martof, 1956 | synonym |
| Leurognathus marmoratus aureatus Martof, 1956 Martof, 1956 | synonym |
| Leurognathus marmoratus roboratus Martof, 1956 Martof, 1956 | synonym |
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=1100329 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.
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:6CNY6. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.