Looking at Salamanders at the Species Level

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Looking at Salamanders at the Species Level
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Kindom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataSubphylum
VertebrataSuperclass TetrapodaClass
AmphibiaSubclass LissamphibiaOrder
CaudataFamilies Cryptobranchidae, Proteidae,
Salamandridae, Ambystomatidae Plethodontidae
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Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis

• Family Cryptobranchidae
• Hidden Gills
• Eastern Hellbender
• Largest salamander
• Big skin folds

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Necturus m. maculosus

• Family Proteidae
• Swimming
• Common Mudpuppy
• Bushy gills
• 4 4 (1 of 2 WV salamanders w/ this toe
  characteristic)

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Notophthalmus v. viridescens

• Family Salamandridae
• Eyes on back
• Red-spotted Newt / Eft
• Black bordered red spots on back side
• Longitudinal crests on head

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Family Ambystomatidae

• Cup-shaped mouth
• The Mole Salamanders
• Costal grooves
• Ambystoma jeffersonianum
• Ambystoma maculatum
• Ambystoma opacum
• Ambystoma barbouri
• Ambystoma texanum

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Ambystoma jeffersonianum

• Jefferson Salamander
• EXTREMELY long toes
• Small bluish flecks on body
• Light belly
• 14 costal grooves

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Ambystoma maculatum

• Spotted Salamander
• 2 irregular rows of yellow spots on the dorsum
  that extend from the head to the tail
• Dark belly
• 12 costal grooves

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Ambystoma opacum

• Marbled Salamander
• Alternating light dark crossbands on the dorsal
  side that form an hourglass shape
• Dark belly
• 12 costal grooves

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Ambystoma texanumAmbystoma barbouri

• Smallmouth Salamander Streamside Salamander
• Sibling species (look at distribution map)
• Numerous bluish/ grey or silvery/gray markings
  along the sides of the body
• Small head mouth
• 14 costal
• grooves

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A. texanum/barbouri Distribution Map
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Family Plethodontidae

• Lots of teeth
• Largest most diverse group of salamanders
• Lungless, respire through skin
• Nasolabial groove is present
• WV has 7 genera 25 species

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Genus Desmognathus

• Band on jaws (lower jaw held in place via
  ligaments connected to the upper backbone) VERY
  strong jaws
• Robust
• Larger hind legs
• 5 species in WV

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5 Desmognathus species

• D. ochrophaeus
• D. fuscus
• D. monticola
• D. quadramaculatus
• D. welteri
• Note These are in increasing order of water
  affinity so it will be helpful to look at the
  keel of the tail in each species

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Cross Sections of Desmognathus Tails
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Desmognathus ochrophaeus

• Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander
• Chevron markings
• 14 costal grooves
• Most terrestrial so there is NO KEEL IN THE TAIL

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Desmognathus fuscus

• Northern Dusky Salamander
• Dorsally, there is usually a reddish stripe (may
  be broken up) w/ wavy borders
• Mottled belly
• DORSAL KEEL

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Desmognathus m. monticola

• Appalachian Seal Salamander
• Dorsally, there are worm-like markings scattered
  all over
• Immaculate belly
• 14 costal grooves
• Stronger keel

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Desmognathus quadramaculatus

• Black-bellied Salamander
• Dark in color a row of brownish/gold specks along
  each side of the body
• Head is usually brownish
• Dark belly and body (except for the chocolate
  head)
• 14 costal grooves
• STRONGLY KEELED TAIL

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Desmognathus welteri

• Black Mountain Dusky Salamander
• Most terrestrial
• Biggest keeled tail

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Genus Gyrinophilus

• The Spring Salamanders
• Tadpole loving
• Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus
• Gyrinophilus p. duryi
• Gyrinophilus subterraneous
• Sibling species (Look at the map)

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Genus Gyrinophilus

• Robust
• Pink/Red/Brown
• Free tongue
• Keeled tail
• Canthas rostralis

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Genus Gyrinophilus Distribution Map
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Genus Pseudotriton

• The Red Salamanders
• False newt
• Richly colored with black dots
• Robust
• Keeled tail
• Pseudotriton montanus diastictus
• Pseudotriton r. ruber

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Pseudotriton montanus diastictus

• Midland Mud Salamander
• Red w/ few black spots
• 17 costal grooves

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Pseudotriton r. ruber

• Northern Red Salamander
• Red w/ numerous small black dots scattered over
  body
• 16-17 costal grooves

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Aneides aeneus

• The climbing salamanders
• Shapeless
• Green Salamander
• Flattened body
• Squared-off toe pads (for climbing)
• Dark w/ bright green patches over body
• 14 15 costal grooves

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Genus EuryceaThe Brook Salamanders

• Wide
• The Brook Salamanders
• Free tongue
• Eurycea lucifuga
• Eurycea l. longicauda
• Eurycea cirrigera
• Eurycea b. bislineata
• Denotes sibling species

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Eurycea lucifuga

• Cave Salamander
• Tail gt half of the body
• Orange Red w/ numerous black dots over body
• Flattened head w/ well developed eyes
• 14 15 costal grooves

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Eurycea l. longicauda

• Long-tailed Salamander
• Tail gt half the body
• Slender
• Herringbone style on tail
• Black speckles over body
• 13 14 costal grooves

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Eurycea bislineataEurycea cirrigera

• Northern Two-lined Salamander Southern
  Two-lined Salamander
• Light, median dorsal stripe bordered on each side
  by dark lines which originate at the eyes and
  extend the length of the body
• 15 16 costal grooves
• Sibling species (know your distribution map)

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Eurycea bislineataEurycea cirrigeraDistribution
Map
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Hemidactylium scutatum

• Half finger
• Four-toed Salamander
• 4 4
• Brown back
• Salt pepper belly
• Constriction at base of tail

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Genus PlethodonFamily Plethodontidae

• Woodland salamanders are divided into small
  large size classes
• Completely terrestrial nocturnal
• Entire larval stage is spent in the egg
• 4 Complexes (DISTRIBUTION MAPS)

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small Woodland Salamanders

• Plethodon cinereus
• Plethodon richmondi
• Plethodon electromorphus
• Plethodon hoffmani
• Plethodon virginia
• Plethodon nettingi

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LARGE Woodland Salamanders

• Plethodon punctatus
• Plethodon wehrlei
• Plethodon kentucki
• Plethodon cylindraceus
• Plethodon glutinosus

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Plethedon cinereus(small)

• Eastern Red-backed Salamander
• Straight-edged stripe down the back that usually
  extends to the tail (color varies due to
  different phases)
• Belly sprinkled w/ black white
• 18 19 costal grooves

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Plethodon richmondi Plethodon
electromorphus(small)

• Southern Ravine Salamander Northern Ravine
  Salamander
• Sibling species (refer to map)
• Long slender
• Dark back w/ lots of gold/silver flecks
  sometimes white specks on side
• In NRS, the belly and throat are more white
• Costal groove numbers overlap

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Plethodon richmondi Plethodon
electromorphusDistribution Map
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Plethodon hoffmani Plethodon virginia(small)

• Valley Ridge Salamander Shenandoah Mountain
  Salamander
• Sibling species (map)
• Morphologically similar to the ravine salamanders

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Plethodon nettingi(small)

• Cheat Mountain Salamander
• Federally protected species endemic to WV
  (Pendleton, Grant, Tucker, Randolph Pocahontas
  Counties)
• Dark back w/ metallic-like speckles
• Dark belly and throat
• 17 19 costal grooves

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Plethodon glutinosus Plethodon cylindraceus
Plethodon kentucki(LARGE)

• Northern Slimy Salamander White-spotted Slimy
  Salamander Cumberland Plateau Salamander
• Sibling Species (map)
• Grey belly
• Dorsally black covered w/ many white speckles
• 16 costal grooves

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Plethodon glutinosus Plethodon cylindraceus
Plethodon kentuckiDistribution Map
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Plethodon wehrlei Plethodon punctatus (LARGE)

• Wehrles Salamander Cow Knob Salamander
• Sibling Species
• More charcoal than black
• In PW, back feet are partially webbed red
  flecks are present usually on sides
• In CK, dark back w/ yellow spots all over

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Plethodon wehrlei Plethodon punctatusDistributi
on Map
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Any Questions??????