| Nantahala black-bellied salamander | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Subfamily: | Plethodontinae |
| Genus: | Desmognathus |
| Species: | D. amphileucus |
| Binomial name | |
| Desmognathus amphileucus Bishop, 1941 | |
| Synonyms | |
D. quadramaculatus amphileucusBishop, 1941 | |
The Nantahala black-bellied salamander or southern black-bellied salamander (Desmognathus amphileucus) is a species of lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the eastern United States, where it is only known from the southern Appalachian Mountains. [1] [2]
Initially described in 1941 as a subspecies of the blackbelly salamander ("D. quadramaculatus"), a 2022 study found significant genetic divergence within the species, but also found that the name D. quadramaculatus had in fact been coined for the northern dusky salamander rather than the blackbelly salamander. D. amphileucus, already having previously received a name, was uplifted as a distinct species. [2] [3]
Desmognathus amphileucus is a medium-sized salamander that can grow up to 18 centimeters. [4]
It is known from southwestern North Carolina, extreme western South Carolina, extreme southeastern Tennessee, and northeastern Georgia. It is restricted to the Blue Ridge Mountains subrange, with its range being roughly bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains to the north and the French Broad River to the east. Isolated populations are known from the Piedmont of Georgia and South Carolina that may have resulted from introductions via fishing bait buckets. [5]
The southern black-bellied salamander are mostly nocturnal [6] but they will stay in a semi-active state under a cover object during the day. [7] They will also avoid light. [8]
Larval salamanders are predated on by fish and larger salamanders/larvae. [9]
Holbrook's southern dusky salamander, previously known as just the southern dusky salamander, is a species of salamander endemic to the southeastern United States. Older sources often refer to it as the eared triton. Formerly abundant, it has precipitously declined since the 1960s.
The seepage salamander is a small, terrestrial species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States. They are found in small areas of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, intermittent rivers, and freshwater springs. It gets its name from the seepages around which it lives. It is very similar in its appearance and life history to the pygmy salamander. These two species differ greatly from the other Desmognathus species. They are the smallest salamanders in the genus, measuring only 3–5 cm (1–2 in) in length. They are also the only two terrestrial, direct-developing Desmognathus species. However, the two species are not often seen to coexist, differing in distribution by elevation; although there are exceptions. The seepage salamander is currently listed as Near Threatened, with its numbers declining in most of states in which it is found. It is threatened by habitat loss, with logging having a major effect.
The dwarf black-bellied salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.
Desmognathus fuscus is a species of amphibian in the family Plethodontidae. The species is commonly called the dusky salamander or northern dusky salamander to distinguish it from populations in the southern United States which form several distinct species, the southern dusky salamanders. The northern dusky salamander is the most widespread representative of its genus in Canada. It can be found in eastern North America from extreme eastern Canada in New Brunswick south to South Carolina. The size of the species' total population is unknown, but is assumed to easily exceed 100,000. The species' habitat differs somewhat geographically; dusky salamanders in the northern part of the range prefer rocky woodland streams, seepages, and springs, while those in the south favor floodplains, sloughs, and muddy places along upland streams. They are most common where water is running or trickling. They hide under various objects, such as leaves or rocks, either in or near water. Alternatively, they may enter burrows for protection. The dusky salamander lays its eggs close to water under moss or rocks, in logs, or in stream-bank cavities. The larval stage which follows is normally aquatic.
The shovelnose salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.
The ocoee salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. This salamander has a variety of colors and patterns, and got its name from Tennessee state wildflower. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater springs and wet rocks in mountainous areas of the Southeastern United States. It was first described by Nicholls in 1949. They are territorial and feed on small invertebrates. It is widely distributed in the southeastern United States and is listed as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The blackbelly salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its natural habitats are rivers, intermittent rivers, and freshwater springs. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The black mountain salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae.
The pygmy salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States in the southern Appalachians in North Carolina and Tennessee. Desmognathus wrighti is a member of the family Plethodontidae and is commonly known as the pygmy salamander. As the name suggest the pygmy salamander is the smallest of the nineteen species in the genus Desmognathus. D. wrighti undergoes direct development and does not have a free-living larval stage. Only two other taxa in Desmognathus, D. aeneus and D. organi, exhibit direct development along with the pygmy salamander. In the genus Desmognathus, body size, habitat preferences, and patterns used by males during courtship are quite variable. D. wrighti courtship is noted by the male biting and seizing its partner in order to provide them with a chemical stimulus. The pygmy salamander can be found in the southern Appalachians of the United States in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Geographical distribution of the Desmognathus wrighti is fragmented and the highest abundance of the species can be found at high elevations in spruce and fir tree forest.
The Blue Ridge two-lined salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the United States. This species is found in the southern Appalachian Mountains, mostly south of Virginia. To the north is a similar salamander, Eurycea bislineata, or the northern two-lined salamander. Its genus, Eurycea contains 33 species and includes taxa that have either a metamorphic life cycle or larval-form paedomorphosis. In species that metamorphose, there can be within-and among-population variation in larval life-history characteristics, e.g., duration of the larval period and size at metamorphosis. Intraspecific geographic variation in species of Eurycea has been attributed to several factors: temperature, stream order and productivity of the larval habitat.
The red-cheeked salamander, also known as the Jordan's salamander, Jordan's redcheek salamander, or Appalachian woodland salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.
The northern pygmy salamander is a terrestrial species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae and genus Desmognathus. Along with the southern pygmy and the seepage salamander, these are some of the smallest salamander species in North America and can be found in higher elevations in the southern Appalachians.
The spotted dusky salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.
The flat-headed salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States, where it is known from Virginia and likely North Carolina.
The Cherokee black-bellied salamander or Smoky Mountains black-bellied salamander is a species of lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the eastern United States, where it is only known from the southern Appalachian Mountains.
The Kanawha black-bellied salamander or New River black-bellied salamander is a species of lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the eastern United States, where it is only known from the south-central Appalachian Mountains.
The Pisgah black-bellied salamander or Blue Ridge black-bellied salamander is a species of lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the eastern United States, where it is only known from the southern Appalachian Mountains.
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