Looking at Salamanders at the

Species Level

Kindom: AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata

Subphylum: VertebrataSuperclass: Tetrapoda

Class: AmphibiaSubclass: Lissamphibia

Order: CaudataFamilies: Cryptobranchidae, Proteidae, Salamandridae,

Ambystomatidae & Plethodontidae

Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis

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

Necturus m. maculosus

• Family: Proteidae• “Swimming”• Common Mudpuppy• Bushy gills• 4 – 4 (1 of 2 WV salamanders

w/ this toe characteristic)

Notophthalmus v. viridescens

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

Family: Ambystomatidae

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

Ambystoma jeffersonianum

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

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

Ambystoma opacum

• Marbled Salamander• Alternating light & dark crossbands on the

dorsal side that form an hourglass shape• Dark belly • 12 costal grooves

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

A. texanum/barbouri Distribution Map

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

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

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

Cross Sections of Desmognathus Tails

Desmognathus ochrophaeus

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

TAIL

Desmognathus fuscus

• Northern Dusky Salamander• Dorsally, there is usually a reddish

stripe (may be broken up) w/ wavy borders

• Mottled belly• DORSAL KEEL

Desmognathus m. monticola

• Appalachian Seal Salamander• Dorsally, there are worm-like markings

scattered all over• Immaculate belly• 14 costal grooves• Stronger keel

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

Desmognathus welteri

• Black Mountain Dusky Salamander

• Most terrestrial• Biggest keeled tail

Genus: Gyrinophilus

• The Spring Salamanders

• “Tadpole loving”

• Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus

• Gyrinophilus p. duryi

• Gyrinophilus subterraneous

• Sibling species (Look at the map)

Genus: Gyrinophilus

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

Genus: Gyrinophilus Distribution Map

Genus: Pseudotriton

• The Red Salamanders

• “False newt”

• Richly colored with black dots

• Robust

• Keeled tail

• Pseudotriton montanus diastictus

• Pseudotriton r. ruber

Pseudotriton montanus diastictus

• Midland Mud Salamander

• Red w/ few black spots

• 17 costal grooves

Pseudotriton r. ruber

• Northern Red Salamander

• Red w/ numerous small black dots scattered over body

• 16-17 costal grooves

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

Genus: EuryceaThe Brook Salamanders

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

Eurycea lucifuga

• Cave Salamander• Tail > half of the body• Orange – Red w/ numerous black dots over

body• Flattened head w/ well developed eyes• 14 – 15 costal grooves

Eurycea l. longicauda

• Long-tailed Salamander

• Tail > half the body

• Slender• Herringbone

style on tail• Black speckles

over body• 13 – 14 costal

grooves

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)

Eurycea bislineataEurycea cirrigeraDistribution Map

Hemidactylium scutatum

• “Half finger”• Four-toed

Salamander• 4 – 4• Brown back• Salt & pepper

belly• Constriction at

base of tail

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)

small Woodland Salamanders

• Plethodon cinereus

• Plethodon richmondi

• Plethodon electromorphus

• Plethodon hoffmani

• Plethodon virginia

• Plethodon nettingi

LARGE Woodland Salamanders

• Plethodon punctatus

• Plethodon wehrlei

• Plethodon kentucki

• Plethodon cylindraceus

• Plethodon glutinosus

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

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

Plethodon richmondi & Plethodon electromorphus

Distribution Map

Plethodon hoffmani & Plethodon virginia

(small)• Valley & Ridge Salamander &

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

salamanders

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

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

Plethodon glutinosus &Plethodon cylindraceus &

Plethodon kentuckiDistribution Map

Plethodon wehrlei & Plethodon punctatus (LARGE)

• Wehrle’s 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

Plethodon wehrlei & Plethodon punctatus

Distribution Map

Any Questions??????