NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Scott Bar Salamander
Plethodon asupak Mead, Clayton, Nauman, Olson & Pfrender, 2005
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.
Scott Bar Salamander (Plethodon asupak) - Jake Scott
Caudatejake · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Scott Bar salamander (Plethodon asupak) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the United States, where it is restricted to a very small range in the Scott River drainage in Siskiyou County, California, at altitudes between 700 and 1,300 metres (2,300 and 4,300 ft) above sea level. Described in 2005, it is one of the most recently described species in the large genus Plethodon.
Wikipedia contributors, Scott Bar salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:01:37.681726+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Plethodon asupak Mead, Clayton, Nauman, Olson & Pfrender, 2005
- Name authority
- Mead, Clayton, Nauman, Olson & Pfrender, 2005
- Common name
- Scott Bar 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 asupak Mead, Clayton, Nauman, Olson & Pfrender, 2005
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.
- Mead, Louise S., David R. Clayton, Richard S. Nauman, Deanna H. Olson, and Michael E. Pfrender. (2005). Newly discovered populations of salamanders from Siskiyou County California represent a species distinct from Plethodon stormi. Herpetologica, Vol. 61, No. 2. 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:7827S. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.