genus

Desmognathus

by James Servatius

part of the Plethodontidae family (lungless salamanders)

Lungless Salamanders of the family, Plethodontidae are divided into genera based on jaw movement and body type. Desmognathus is characterized by a rigid lower jaw that is used like a shovel in search of food. They are usually more robust than they are slender. They live mainly in and around streams and ponds, but they will venture out into woody areas after rainfall. Members of Desmognathus, like other lungless salamanders, breath through the use of their thin, moist skin. Most lay their eggs under logs or in a depression in the leaf litter of the forest. The area must be very moist because the eggs do not have much protection from evaporation.

This picture was taken by Komoroski of the UGA Ecology department.

http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/herpphotos/herpindex.html

Desmognathus aeneus Seepage Salamander

Desmognathus auriculatus Southern Dusky Salamander

Desmognathus brimleyorum Ouachita Dusky Salamander

Desmognathus fuscus Dusky Salamander

Desmognathus imitator Imitator Salamander

Desmognathus monticola Seal Salamander

Desmognathus ochrophaeus Mountain Dusky Salamander

Desmognathus quadromaculatus Black-Bellied Salamander

Desmognathus welteri Black Mountain Dusky Salamander

Desmognathus wrighti Pygmy Salamander

Desmognathus aeneus - very small (3.8-5.7 cm); pale line runs from eye to angle of jaw; belly brown and white; tail is round and about one-half the body length; wide tan, yellow, or reddish-brown stripe has dark center line continuous with Y-shaped mark or series of dark smudges on back. They are found from east-central Alabama through north Georgia to extreme southwest North Carolina.

Desmognathus auriculatus- medium sized (7.6-16.2 cm); dark-brown or black dusky; belly speckled with white; sides have a conspicuous row of one or two round whitish or reddish spots. They are found in swampy lakes, floodplains, and ravines from the North Carolina coast to the east Texas coast.

Desmognathus brimleyorum- large (7.8-17.8 cm); one of the most aquatic duskies; pale line runs from eye to angle of jaw; juveniles have blotched backs; adults become uniformly brown on top and sides have a dark area meeting a lighter area. They are found in the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Desmognathus fuscus- medium (6.4-14.1 cm); the most common dusky; there are two subspecies; Desmognathus fuscus fuscus (Northern) and Desmognathus fuscus conanti (Spotted); pale line runs from eye to angle of jaw; juveniles have 5-8 pairs of round yellowish or reddish spots on back. Adults tan or dark brown on top. They are found from Quebec to Louisiana.

Desmognathus imitator- medium (7.0-10.2 cm); pale line runs from eye to angle of jaw; highly variable in coloration; usually has dark, rippling stripes down the back; older individuals often become dark and patternless. Yellow to red cheek patches common. They are found in cool, moist red spruce forests in the Smoky Mountains.

Desmognathus monticola- large (7.6-14.9 cm); stout, variably patterned species; Pale stripe from eye to angle of jaw; light brown or grayish on top with numerous dark streaks surrounded by paler areas; sides are dark above and light speckled below; tail sharply keeled and tip pointed. They are found on the banks of mountain streams, small rocky spring-fed brooks in hardwood-shaded ravines from southwestern Pennsylvania to north Georgia and Alabama.

Desmognathus occhrophaeus- medium (7.0-11.1 cm); northern forms are gray, brown, olive, yellow, or orange; have wide, straight -edged, dark-bordered stripe marked with a V shape down back and tail. They are found in upland forests and closer to water at lower elevations from New York to extreme northeast Georgia.

Desmognaathus quadromaculatus- large (8.9-20.8 cm) largest, most robust, and most aquatic dusky salamander; pale line runs from eye to angle of jaw; black on top, with greenish blotches; belly uniformly dark brown or black with yellow fleckling in young; two rows of light dots on each side; tail sharply keeled on top. They are found in mountain streams from north Georgia to West Virginia.

Desmognathus welteri- large (7.6-17.0 cm); stocky, easily confused with Dusky and Seal salamanders; brown on top with small dark-brown or black blotches; whitish below, with fine to heavy brown stippling; back and belly colors blend at sides. They are found in mountain brooks and streams in eastern Kentucky.

Desmognathus wrighti- small (3.7-5.1 cm) terrestrial, high altitude, very small species; wide tan to reddish-brown back stripe with dark herringbone pattern; belly flesh-colored; rough skin atop head. They are found in Fraser fir and red spruce forests in western North Carolina.

The species information comes from The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians.

Desmognathus, part of the Plethodontidae family of lungless salamanders, are the largest family of salamanders. They are believed to have originated in eastern half of the United States early in the Devonian era about 400 million years ago. The Desmognathus life cycle includes an elaborate courtship display. The males rub the females while the females straddles the male's tail. Then he moves forward and deposits a spermatophore in the path of the female. The female can save the spermatophore for many weeks until she is ready to internally fertilize her eggs. She will probably lay between 10-15 eggs in a rotted log or depressed area near moss or wet leaves. She will then guard the eggs until they are ready to hatch because they are easily damaged and can dry out. The larvae in this genus are miniature replicas of the adults. They can usually mature in about one year and may live for many years, but these salamanders might be declining. They, as are most amphibians, are very vulnerable to UV light. If the amount of UV light is increasing, then the eggs of the salamanders are in danger. The salamanders also have another danger. They are also particularly susceptible to metals and acids in their water supply. These salamanders breath through their skin and pollutants in the water can easily kill them.

For more information on salamanders and some great pictures visit these sites:

http://tao.ncsa.uiuc.edu/ping/herps/images/salamanders

http://www.users.interport.net/~spiff/Newt%26Salamander.html

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.

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.