species1

Desmognathus aeneus

James Servatius

Order Amphibia

Family Plethodontidae

Class Caudata

Genus Desmognathus

This photo was taken by Komoroski of the UGA Ecology Department

Baird described the species in 1850. The Seepage Salamander is a very small salamander. It is usually between 3.8 cm and 5.7 cm long. A pale line runs from the eye to the angle of the jaw. The wide tan, yellow, or reddish-brown stripe has a dark center line continuous with a Y-shaped mark or series of dark smudges on the back. The belly is plain or brown and white. The tail is round, one-half the total length of the salamander. There are 13-14 costal grooves in this species. The breeding season is between April to June. The female lays between 5 and 17 under moss or in a small depression where she alone will watch over the eggs. The young can hatch in 5-7 weeks. The young will be sexually mature in 2 years. There is no aquatic larval stage. The juvenile salamanders are just miniature specimens of the adults. The range of this species includes southwest North Carolina to central Alabama including Georgia. This species also includes what used to be called the Cherokee Salamander and the Alabama Salamander. The Cherokee Salamander, from Georgia and North Carolina, has straight edged reddish-brown stripes. The Alabama has wavy edged tan or yellow stripes. All Seepage Salamanders frequent leaf litter; they love to eat springtails, beetle larvae, and mites. More information can be gathered about this species from The Audubon field Guide.

North America	yes	Audubon Field Guide
Eastern North America	yes very abundant in local areas	Audubon Field Guides
Southeastern States: AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SN TN VA WV	yes but only in GA,NC,AL	Audubon Field Guide
Southern Appalachian States: AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV	yes, very widespread and abundant in local areas	Audubon Field Guide
Coastal Plain	no	Auduboon Field Guide
Piedmont	yes, the most abundant area for this species	Audubon Field Guide
Blue Ridge Mountains	yes, in GA and extreme southwest NC	Audubon Field Guide
Great Smoky Mountains	no	Auduboon Field Guide
Ridge and Valley	possibly	Audubon Field Guide
Cumberland Plateau	yes, widespread	Audubon Field Guide
Central Arch Georgia	Yes	Auduboon Field Guide
Clarke County, GA	yes	personal observation
Sams Farm	yes, but widespread	personal observation
Old field	no	personal observation
Wetland	probably	personal ob.
Woods	yes	personal ob.
1-Hectare Plot	maybe	personal ob.

The Seepage Salamander requires a constant nearby water supply just like other salamanders and amphibians. These salamanders can remain more active than other amphibians during cool weather. As long as they have a constant water supply which they use in oxygen exchange through their skin. The populations can be found in hardwood areas around streams and ponds, but the populations can be dense in isolated areas. One individual was discovered at Sams Farm near the woody area about 100 meters north of the 1-hectare plot. The salamanders, if found, are easy to catch. This is demonstrated by the enormous amount of research this species and other species of salamanders are making in the world of scientific research. These salamanders are being used in genetic research and in the study of cell biology.

References:

Behler, John and King, F. Wayne. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Knopf Publishing: New York. 1992. Pp. 267-356.

Duellman, William and Trueb, Linda. Biology of Amphibians. McGraw-Hill Book Company: New York. 1986. Pp. 1-284.

Dunn, Emmet Reid. The Salamanders of the Family Plethodontidae. Smith College: Northampton, Mass. 1926.

National Geographic. November 1992. Volume 182. Issue 5.

Pearl, Mary Corliss. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Wildlife. Volume 9; reptiles and amphibians. Encyclopedia Britannica. 1991. Pp. 1740-1760.

Stebbins, Robert and Cohen, Nathan. A Natural History of Amphibians. Princeton University Press: Princeton, New Jersey. 1995. Pp. 3-9,54-66,211-247.

World Book Encyclopedia. "Salamanders." 1991.