FreeLists / tn-bird / [tn-bird] Re: On Second thought... (oops!)

[Luvsbirdn@xxxxxxx]

Charlie,

Your salamander advice to Anna has left me confused (not hard to do!).  Not 
being a salamander-person myself, I'm curious as to how you came up with 
"lead-backed salamander".  It seemed to me your initial "slimy" call was 
right on target.

I would think geography alone would eliminate redback salamanders.  I thought 
their range in Tennessee was restricted to far east TN or even upper east TN, 
whereas slimy salamanders (or at least the P. glutinosis complex) were 
widespread and common thoughout most of the state (including Perry County).   
Isn't Perry County way outside the redback range?

Consider further, the unlikelihood of her finding two specimens of the 
"leadback" color phase of the redback salamander.  While redback salamanders 
may be common within their normal distribution, I would think it unlikely 
that the two specimens she came across were both homozygous for the recessive 
"leadback" gene - the only way she could have observed the leadback 
phenotype.  It is certainly possible, but the laws of genetics are stacked 
(albeit slightly) against it.

I feel silly questioning a Senior Naturalist in the most-salamander-diverse 
National Park in the U.S.  I know that salamander taxonomy and distribution 
is ever-changing.  I don't keep up with them as I'm sure you do, so I figure 
I must be missing something here.  What is it?

So as not to further tarnish my listserv reputation I feel compelled to post 
bird info somewhere in this message - I did have a Wilson's warbler at the 
house a week or so ago.  Now, if you'll assuage my warped sense of humor 
please consider that Gale Norton could probably teach each of us a thing or 
two about birds and salamanders - but then again, as one of my favorite 
listserv-posters put it "that would be too easy - like shooting buffalos from 
a train".

Save the morphine for the people!
Always sincere but not always serious,

W. Kelly Roy
Knoxville TN


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