I was poking around the source code to jME and noticed an interface called ImageLoader. The TextureManager uses it to define custom handlers for image loading, however, it doesn't look as though the interface is used by anything yet. I would think the Loader classes found in com.jme.image.util should implement this interface and the specific extension loading code eliminated in TextureManager.loadImage (lines 462 to 466) to make things more… "proper".
Is this just an oversight, or am I missing something? Just curious 
-Dan
Nevermind. I found this thread that answers my question:
http://www.jmonkeyengine.com/jmeforum/index.php?topic=3245.0
-Dan