Rediscovery of the Tennessee Cave Salamander (Gyrinophilus palleucus) McCrady at Shelta Cave, Madison County, Alabama, USA, a Former Subterranean Hotspot Cave

Eric C. Maxwell¹, Audrey Koltz², Jessica Stamn², Christopher Beatty², Christian Boudreaux², Joris Carbonare², Charlotte Clasper², Logan Harden², Jimmontre Harris², Kelsey Lawmaster², Justin Lee², Jessica Polk², Julia Polk², Rachael Yeager², Ísis C. Arantes², Michel E.B. Ohmer², and Matthew L. Niemiller^1,*

¹Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899.²Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 24, Issue 4 (2025): N64–N73

First published early online: 31 December 2025

Abstract
Shelta Cave in metropolitan Huntsville, Madison County, AL, has been recognized as a global cave biodiversity hotspot historically; however, the cave community suffered catastrophic decline due to multiple anthropogenic threats in the late 1960s into early 1970s and has yet to recover. Several aquatic and terrestrial species have not been observed in several decades at Shelta Cave. The rediscovery of Cambarus sheltae (Shelta Cave Crayfish) in 2019 brought hope that other taxa may be rediscovered in the future. We report the first confirmed observation of Gyrinophilus palleucus (Tennessee Cave Salamander), a top predator of the aquatic food web, at Shelta Cave in 57 years during a biosurvey of the cave system in March 2025. We discuss the slow possible recovery of the aquatic community at Shelta Cave and the rarity of the salamander in the metropolitan Huntsville area in general. Our rediscovery highlights the importance of continued monitoring of historical sites for extirpated taxa and the resilience of some cave ecosystems under long-term anthropogenic threats.

Download Full-text pdf (Accessible only to subscribers. To subscribe click here.)