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.