Eurycea pterophila
Burger, Smith, and Potter, 1950
yoor-EE-see-uh — ter-OH-fil-uh
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
There are no current SSAR comments for this taxon.
(, Museum Voucher)
(, Observation)
(, Literature Record),
(, Citizen Science),
( Fossil)
Open icons indicate questionable records; click on a marker to view details.
Occurrences:
214 Total
187 Museum
27 Other
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.04.08.20.59.18)
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Province/State Distribution:
United States: Texas
Taxonomic Etymology:
Named for its habitat preference.
Eurycea — Rafinesque (1822) intentionally used a mythological-sounding name, but its specific Greek meaning or derivation was not disclosed. So, while modern etymologists may connect Eurycea to Eurydice or Greek roots (eurys “broad”), Rafinesque himself treated it as a classical name without a defined origin.
pterophila — Derived from Greek roots: πτερόν (pteron) — “wing” or “feather”; φίλος (philos) — “loving” or “fond of”; “Lover of wings” or “fond of wings.” The name likely refers to this salamander's close association with caves and springs in the Edwards Plateau, where the presence of bats (winged animals) is notable. It may symbolically reference the species’ ecological affinity for habitats shared with or reminiscent of flying organisms.
First instance(s) of published English names:
Fern Bank Neotenic Salamander (Eurycea neotenes pterophila: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Fern Bank Salamander (Eurycea neotenes pterophila: Conant, Roger, Fred R. Cagle, Coleman J. Goin, Charles H. Lowe, Wilfred T. Neill, M. Graham Netting, Karl P. Schmidt, Charles E. Shaw, Robert C. Stebbins, and Charles M. Bogert. 1956. Common names for North American amphibians and reptiles. Copeia 1956(3):172-185);
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
Amphibian Species of the World
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
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1950
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Burger, W. Leslie, Hobart M. Smith, and Floyd E. Potter, Jr. Another neotenic Eurycea from the Edwards Plateau. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 63:51-58
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1993
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Arnold, Steven J., Nancy L. Reagan, and Paul A. Verrell. Reproductive isolation and speciation in plethodontid salamanders. Herpetologica 49(2):216-228
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2003
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Wiens, John J., Paul T. Chippindale, and David M. Hillis. When are phylogenetic analyses misled by convergence? A case study in Texas cave salamanders. Systematic Biology 52(4):501-514
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2009
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Lucas, Lauren K., Zachariah Gompert, James R. Ott, and Chris C. Nice. Geographic and genetic isolation in spring-associated Eurycea salamanders endemic to the Edwards Plateau region of Texas. Conservation Genetics 10:1309-1319
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2010
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Kozak, Kenneth H. and John J. Wiens. Accelerated rates of climatic-niche evolution underlie rapid species diversification. Ecology Letter 13:1378-1389
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