Savannah Slimy Salamander
Plethodon savannah Highton in Highton, Maha & Maxson, 1989
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 Savannah slimy salamander (Plethodon savannah) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the state of Georgia in the United States, where it is restricted to the Atlantic coastal plain in Burke, Jefferson, and Richmond counties. This distribution reaches its eastern limit at the Savannah River. Its natural habitat is bottomland hardwood forest. Population analysis indicates a precipitous decline in the population of this species, and it is becoming extirpated in many areas due to development; for example, the habitat at the type locality of this species was partially destroyed by a housing development.
Wikipedia contributors, Savannah slimy salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T11:26:43.322479+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Plethodon savannah Highton in Highton, Maha & Maxson, 1989
- Name authority
- Highton in Highton, Maha & Maxson, 1989
- Common name
- Savannah Slimy Salamander
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Caudata
- Family
- Plethodontidae
- Genus
- Plethodon
- 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
- genusPlethodon Tschudi, 1838
- speciesPlethodon savannah Highton in Highton, Maha & Maxson, 1989
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Plethodon. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Gray-cheeked SalamanderPlethodon montanus Highton & Peabody, 2000 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Shenandoah Mountain SalamanderPlethodon virginia Highton, 1999 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dunn's SalamanderPlethodon dunni Bishop, 1934 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Plethodon jacksoni Newman, 1954 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Big Levels SalamanderPlethodon sherando Highton, 2004 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cheat Mountain SalamanderPlethodon nettingi Green, 1938 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Webster's SalamanderPlethodon websteri Highton, 1979 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mississippi Slimy SalamanderPlethodon mississippi Highton in Highton, Maha & Maxson, 1989 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Southern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon serratus Grobman, 1944 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern Slimy SalamanderPlethodon glutinosus (Green, 1818) | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Siskiyou Mountains SalamanderPlethodon stormi Highton & Brame, 1965 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Wehrle's SalamanderPlethodon wehrlei Fowler & Dunn, 1917 | PlethodontidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
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.
- Highton, Maha & Maxson, 1989 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:77Q7Y. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.