Northern Zigzag Salamander
Plethodon dorsalis Cope, 1889
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Order | Caudata |
| Family | Plethodontidae |
| Genus | Plethodon |
| Species | Plethodon dorsalis Cope, 1889 |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Troglophile
- Realm
- Terrestrial
Distribution
Range
Known from 25 counties across four states.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee
Counties
- Illinois
- Monroe, Pope, St. Clair
- Indiana
- Lawrence, Monroe
- Kentucky
- Carter, Edmonson, Hart, Livingston, Metcalfe, Pulaski, Trigg, Warren
- Tennessee
- Coffee, Fentress, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Overton, Rhea, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren, White
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
LC Least Concern
Assessed in 2022.
NatureServe
G5 Secure
National ranks
- United States
- N5 Secure
Subnational ranks
- Kentucky
- S5 Secure
- Indiana
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Illinois
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Tennessee
- S4 Apparently Secure
Ranks looked up 2 August 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
References
- Bailey, V. 1933. Cave Life of Kentucky. US Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Biological Survey, Washington, DC, USA. 256 pp.
- Banta, A.M. 1907. The fauna of Mayfield's Cave. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication 67: 1–114. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/60987. details
- Barr, T.C., Jr. & Kuehne, R.A. 1971. Ecological studies in the Mammoth Cave system of Kentucky. II. The Ecosystem. Annales de Speleologie 26: 47–96. doi:10.5038/1827-806X.3.1.10
- Cope, E.D. & Packard, A.S. 1881. The fauna of the Nickajack Cave. American Naturalist 15: 877–882.
- Harker, D.F., Jr. & Barr, T.C., Jr. 1979. Caves and associated fauna of Eastern Kentucky, Volume 3. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Frankfurt, Kentucky, USA. 130 pp.
- Lewis, J.J. 2004. Interstate 66 karst faunal study. Environmental Impact Statement. 17 pp.
- Lewis, J.J. 2005a. A biological inventory of caves of the Cumberland Plateau. Tennessee Chapter Cave Program, The Nature Conservancy, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 156 pp.
- Lewis, J.J. & Lewis, S.L. 2007. A biological reconnaissance of selected caves in the Highland Rim area of central Tennessee. Tennessee Chapter Cave Program, The Nature Conservancy, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 42 pp.
- Niemiller, M.L. & Miller, B.T. 2009. A survey of the cave-associated herpetofauna of the eastern United States with an emphasis on salamanders. Proceedings of the 15th International Congress of Speleology, Kerrville, Texas, USA, Volume 1: 249–256.
- Webb, D.W., Taylor, S.J. & Krejca, J.K. 1993. The biological resources of Illinois caves and other subterranean environments. Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA. 143 pp.
This account was last revised 6 September 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 2 August 2026.
How to cite this account
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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