Salamandra talpoidea Holbrook, 1838b:117

Pyron, R. Alexander & Beamer, David A., 2022, A nomenclatural and taxonomic review of the salamanders (Urodela) from Holbrook’s North American Herpetology, Zootaxa 5134 (2), pp. 151-196 : 165

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5134.2.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3C3F497E-7B50-4E49-8983-D773581F18FD

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14536504

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/DF5187BB-5327-FFFA-FF58-8CDAFE61D0FE

treatment provided by

Plazi (2022-05-10 08:35:33, last updated 2024-12-20 15:26:18)

scientific name

Salamandra talpoidea Holbrook, 1838b:117
status

 

Salamandra talpoidea Holbrook, 1838b:117 , pl. 29

Holbrook (1838b) gave the brief original description of the Mole Salamander ( Ambystoma talpoideum ), which he noted is only known from one locality on “the sea islands on the borders of South Carolina , where it was discovered by Mr. Burden, one of my pupils.” Holbrook implied that he knows it only from a single specimen and recorded its habit of burrowing like a mole in loose soil, hence the Latin name referencing the European mole genus Talpa Linnaeus, 1758 . This is presumably the individual illustrated by C. Rogers. No specimens of Mole Salamander were located among any of Holbrook’s extant collections. He also noted that it “bears a strong resemblance to the Salamandra atra [= Salamandra atra Laurenti, 1768 ] of Austria.” Holbrook (1842e:73, pl. 24) enlarged the description, but did not report any additional localities or specimens. For illustration, he included a more life-like lithograph from J. Queen. From the “General Remarks,” he removed the reference to S. atra Laurenti, 1768 , and added instead an explicit reference to the mole genus Talpa Linnaeus, 1758 lacking in the first edition. He also added a note that “it is curious that this animal has the teeth and tail of a Triton , and yet has never been seen in water, but always on land.”

Holbrook, J. E. (1838 b) North American Herpetology: or, A description of the reptiles inhabiting the United States. Vol. II. 1 st Edition. J. Dobson, Philadelphia, viii + 122 pp., XXX pls. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 51821

Holbrook, J. E. (1842 e) North American Herpetology: or, A description of the reptiles inhabiting the United States. Second Edition, Volume V. J. Dobson, Philadelphia, vi + 118 pp., XXXVIII pls. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 4997

Laurenti, J. N. (1768) Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin Reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota Reptilium austriacorum. Joan Thomae nob. de Trattnern, Viennae, ii + 215 pp., 5 pls. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 5108

Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Salvius, Holmiae, iv + 824 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 542

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Amphibia

Order

Caudata

Family

Salamandridae

Genus

Salamandra