{"elementGlobalId":103260,"circumscripConfidence":{"id":3,"circumscripConfidenceDescEn":"3 - Weak","circumscripConfidenceDescEs":"3 - Débil","circumscripConfidenceDescFr":"3 – Faible"},"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":null,"nameCategory":{"id":1,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Vertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal vertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal vertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":null,"formattedScientificName":"<i>Plethodon mississippi</i>","scientificName":"Plethodon mississippi","scientificNameAuthor":"Highton, 1989","primaryCommonName":"Mississippi Slimy Salamander","relatedItisNames":"<i>Plethodon mississippi</i> Highton in Highton, Maha and Maxson, 1989 (TSN 208289)","uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103260","elcode":"AAAAD12420","conceptRefFullCitation":"Highton, R., G.C. Maha, and L.R. Maxson. 1989. Biochemical evolution in the slimy salamanders of the <i>Plethodon glutinosus</I> complex in the eastern United States. Illinois Biological Monographs 57:1-153.","conceptName":"<i>Plethodon mississippi</i>","taxonomicComments":"<i>Plethodon ainsworthi </i>was tentatively removed from the synonymy of <i>P. mississippi</i> by Pierson et al. (2020) (who considered it possibly extinct), where it had been placed by Himes and Beckett (2013). Himes and Beckett (2013) examined morphological variation in <i>P. ainsworthi</i> and <i>P. mississippi</i> and concluded that the presumed distinct morphology of <i>P. ainsworthi</i> appears to be a consequence of long-term, improper preservation of specimens of <i>P. mississippi</i>, and<i> P. ainsworthi</i> should be treated as a synonym of <i>P. mississippi</i>.<br/><br/>This taxon was formerly included in <i>P. glutinosus</i> and recognized as a distinct species by Highton et al. (1989). Joyce et al. (2019) used one mitochondrial and one nuclear gene to estimate phylogeographic lineage diversity of the <i>P. glutinosus</i> complex in Alabama and recommended synonymizing <i>P. grobmani</i> and <i>P. mississippi</i> with <i>P. glutinosus</i>. They further suggested recognizing only a single, widespread <i>P. glutinosus</i>, which would synonymize many species recognized by Highton et al. (1989). We are following Nicholson (2025) in retaining these taxa pending additional data.","roundedGRank":"G5","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":"2002-03-27","conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":null,"primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":164589,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United 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Such evidence minimally includes collection or reliable observation and documentation of one or more individuals (including eggs) in or near appropriate habitat where the species is presumed to be established and  breeding.","mappingGuidance":null,"separationBarriers":"Busy highway, especially with high traffic volume at night; major river or lake; other totally inappropriate habitat that the salamanders cannot traverse.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":1.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":3.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"These salamanders rarely successfully cross roadways that have heavy traffic volume at night, when most movements occur. Rivers and lakes pose formidable impediments to movement and generally function as barriers, with the effect increasing with river and lake size. Treatment of these as barriers or unsuitable habitat is a subjective determination.<br><br>Compared to larger ambystomatid salamanders, the movements of plethodontids are poorly documented, but it is clear that home ranges tend to be very small (e.g., Marvin 2001), on the order of a few meters to a few dozen meters in diameter. For example, Welsh and Lind (1992) found that over six months, 66% of Plethodon elongatus males and 80% of females recaptured were in the same 7.5 x 7.5 m grid, and the maximum distance moved was 36.2 m. D. Clayton (pers. comm 1998) estimated that average home ranges may be  as small as one square meter. Yet, on occasion, dispersing plethodontids likely travel at least several hundred meters. The separation distance for unsuitable habitat reflects the nominal minimum value of 1 km. The separation distance for suitable habitat reflects the limited movements of these salamanders, tempered by their tendency to occur throughout patches of suitable habitat and the likely low probability that two locations separated by a gap of less than a few kilometers of suitable habitat would represent independent occurrences over the long term.<br>","versionDate":"2004-09-10","versionAuthor":"Hammerson, G.","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-04-30T02:04:00.737752Z"}],"plantCharacteristics":null,"elementManagement":{"elementGlobalId":103260,"eoManagementGroupName":null,"stewardshipOverview":null,"impacts":null,"restorationPotential":null,"siteConservationPlansConsidered":null,"managementMethods":null,"monitoringMethods":null,"managementProgramContacts":null,"monitoringProgramContacts":null,"managementResearchPrograms":null,"managementResearchNeeds":null,"biologicalResearchNeeds":null,"additionalTopics":null},"occurrenceViabilities":[{"eoRankSpecsDetailId":104746,"eoRankSpecsGroupName":null,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"excellentViability":null,"goodViability":null,"fairViability":null,"poorViability":null,"viabilityJustification":"Use the Generic Guidelines for the Application of Occurrence Ranks (2008).<br>The Key for Ranking Species Occurrences Using the Generic Approach provides a step-wise process for implementing this method.","versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-05-14T02:23:39.05431Z"}],"references":[{"id":156650,"citation":"Collins, J. 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SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2017,"referenceCode":"B17CRO01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:53.413199Z"},{"id":146698,"citation":"Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Queiroz, D. R. Frost, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., T. W. Taggart, S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2000 [2001]. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 29. 82 pp.","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother et al.","shortCitationYear":2000,"referenceCode":"B00CRO01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:56.631788Z"},{"id":266628,"citation":"Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Quieroz, D. Frost, D. M. Green, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, R. W. McDiarmid, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2003. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico: update. Herpetological Review 34:198-203.","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother et al.","shortCitationYear":2003,"referenceCode":"A03CRO01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:12:17.038357Z"},{"id":1107242,"citation":"Dubois, A., A. Ohler, and R. A. Pyron. 2021. New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia). Megataxa 5:1-738.","shortCitationAuthor":"Dubois et al.","shortCitationYear":2021,"referenceCode":"A21DUB01NAUS","lastModified":"2021-12-06T19:01:16.251202Z"},{"id":1054360,"citation":"Frost, D.R. 2020. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. 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Variation in head shape and color at the range boundary of Gulf Coast Slimy Salamanders (<i>Plethodon glutinosus</i> complex), USA. Copeia 107:694-700.","shortCitationAuthor":"Guyer et al.","shortCitationYear":2019,"referenceCode":"A19GUY01NAUS","lastModified":"2021-07-03T04:06:31.106474Z"},{"id":103153,"citation":"Highton, R., G.C. Maha, and L.R. Maxson. 1989. Biochemical evolution in the slimy salamanders of the <i>Plethodon glutinosus</I> complex in the eastern United States. Illinois Biological Monographs 57:1-153.","shortCitationAuthor":"Highton et al.","shortCitationYear":1989,"referenceCode":"B89HIG01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:16:13.416948Z"},{"id":754292,"citation":"Himes, J. G., and D. C. Beckett. 2013. The status of <i>Plethodon ainsworthi</i> Lazell: extinct, extant, or nonexistent? 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Journal of Herpetology 54:137-143.","shortCitationAuthor":"Pierson et al.","shortCitationYear":2020,"referenceCode":"A20PIE01NAUS","lastModified":"2021-07-03T03:58:47.635943Z"},{"id":133648,"citation":"Redmond, W. H., and A. F. Scott. 1996. Atlas of amphibians in Tennessee. 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