Tennessee Cave Salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus)

Common Name: Tennessee Cave Salamander
Scientific Name: Gyrinophilus palleucus
Family: Plethodontidae – Lungless Salamander family
Location: Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee
Size: 9 inches (22.86 cm)

The Tennessee Cave Salamander is a neotenic salamander found in caves in the southern Appalachian Mountains. It is the official amphibian of the state of Tennessee. There are two subspecies, the Pale Salamander (G. p. palleucus)and the Big Mouth Cave Salamander (G. p. necturoides). The Big Mouth Cave Salamander is darker and more heavily spotter than the Pale Salamander.

Not much is really known about the life history of the salamander because of its secretive lifestyle and we may never know.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assess the Tennessee Cave Salamander as Near Threatened with Extinction. It has a small range that is threatened with pollution from cities and farms.