Seal Salamander

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PA’s Amphibian and Reptile Coloring Series Seal Salamander All About Me: Hi! I am a Seal Salamander. I am a member of the lungless salamander family. We have no lungs and thus need to take in oxygen through our thin, moist skin. We average 3 ¼” to five inches long as an adult. We have a robust body like our cousins, the northern dusky salamanders. Our tail makes up approximately one-half the length of our body. Our tail is compressed, and the tip is knife-edged on the upper side and pointed. We are often light brown or grayish above with dark-brown or black wavy streaks or reticulations that stand out. Sometimes these markings take on the appearance of worm-like blotches and may be surrounded by paler areas. Our belly is light and plain, although some of us may have blotches on the underside. Our sides are dark above but lighter and speckled as they approach the belly line. We have 14 costal grooves (skin folds) on each side. In Pennsylvania, we reside in the southwestern part of the state, west of the Allegheny Mountains. Our range does not reach the Ohio border, and Clarion County just about marks our northern limits. We are an animal of hilly regions. We like to stay close to water where we dive in if disturbed. Otherwise, we hide under rocks, logs or in burrows from where we feed. Our hiding place almost always is on the bank of a mountain stream or small, rocky brook. A boggy ravine, rock-strewn and well-shaded from the sun by a hardwood forest are an ideal home for us. Unmoving as we sit in front of our burrow, we quickly leap out and grab unsuspecting insects as they walk by. We eat ants, beetles and even other salamanders. www.fishandboat.com .

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A Preliminary Investigation of the Taxonomic Status Of
A Tale of Two Salamanders Rachael Glavin In 1951, Richard Hoffman performed a survey of Virginian amphibians and found what he considered a new subspecies of Desmognathus monticola to the east of the Shenandoah Valley, and named the new subspecies D. monticola jeffersoni (Hoffman, 1951). This subspecies was considered unique by Hoffman because of its unusual reticulated dorsal pattern caused by less extensive black spotting that merged to form the reticulated coloration and the geographical separation it had from D. monticola monticola. However, Petranka (2001), denied Hoffman’s subspecies classification of D. monticola jeffersoni. Petranka refers to Hoffman’s key distinction of D. m. jeffersoni: less conspicuous dorsal patterning. Petranka then stated that he has found salamanders that fit Hoffman’s description south of where the subspecies should exist. Without geographical separation, any subspecific designation for the Seal Salamander is not valid. Desmognathus monticola, the seal salamander, occurs in the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia and Alabama (Conant, 1998; Petranka, 2010). Desmognathus monticola is in the family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders which respire entirely through their skin. Usually residing in well oxygenated mountain springs and streams in elevations below 1300 feet, D. monticola has a stout, gray body, about three to six inches in length (Conant, 1998; Martof et al., 1980; Petranka, 2010). The dorsal side has irregular black spots scattered randomly, and the tail of the salamander is laterally compressed and knife-shaped at the tip. D. monticola has a single line of white spots between the legs, cornified darkened friction pads on the toes, enlarged pre-maxillary teeth, and males are larger than females (Petranka, 2010).
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The Salamanders of Tennessee
Salamanders of Tennessee: modified from Lisa Powers tnwildlife.org Follow links to Nongame The Salamanders of Tennessee Photo by John White Salamanders are the group of tailed, vertebrate animals that along with frogs and caecilians make up the class Amphibia. Salamanders are ectothermic (cold-blooded), have smooth glandular skin, lack claws and must have a moist environment in which to live. 1 Amphibian Declines Worldwide, over 200 amphibian species have experienced recent population declines. Scientists have reports of 32 species First discovered in 1967, the golden extinctions, toad, Bufo periglenes, was last seen mainly species of in 1987. frogs. Much attention has been given to the Anurans (frogs) in recent years, however salamander populations have been poorly monitored. Photo by Henk Wallays Fire Salamander - Salamandra salamandra terrestris 2 Why The Concern For Salamanders in Tennessee? Their key role and high densities in many forests The stability in their counts and populations Their vulnerability to air and water pollution Their sensitivity as a measure of change The threatened and endangered status of several species Their inherent beauty and appeal as a creature to study and conserve. *Possible Factors Influencing Declines Around the World Climate Change Habitat Modification Habitat Fragmentation Introduced Species UV-B Radiation Chemical Contaminants Disease Trade in Amphibians as Pets *Often declines are caused by a combination of factors and do not have a single cause. Major Causes for Declines in Tennessee Habitat Modification -The destruction of natural habitats is undoubtedly the biggest threat facing amphibians in Tennessee. Housing, shopping center, industrial and highway construction are all increasing throughout the state and consequently decreasing the amount of available habitat for amphibians.
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Amphibian and Reptile Checklist
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Amphibians and Reptiles of Talladega National Forest (East)
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West Virginia Streamside Salamander Guilds and Environmental Variables with an Emphasis on Pseudotriton Ruber Ruber Kathryn Rebecca Pawlik
Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Theses, Dissertations and Capstones 2008 West Virginia Streamside Salamander Guilds and Environmental Variables with an Emphasis on Pseudotriton ruber ruber Kathryn Rebecca Pawlik Follow this and additional works at: http://mds.marshall.edu/etd Part of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons Recommended Citation Pawlik, Kathryn Rebecca, "West Virginia Streamside Salamander Guilds and Environmental Variables with an Emphasis on Pseudotriton ruber ruber" (2008). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. Paper 780. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. West Virginia Streamside Salamander Guilds and Environmental Variables with an Emphasis on Pseudotriton ruber ruber Thesis submitted to The Graduate College of Marshall University In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Biological Sciences By Kathryn Rebecca Pawlik Thomas K. Pauley, Committee Chair Frank Gilliam Jessica Wooten Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia Copyright April 2008 Abstract Amphibian distributions are greatly influenced by environmental variables, due in part to semi-permeable skin which makes amphibians susceptible to both desiccation and toxin absorption. This study was conducted to determine which streamside salamander species were sympatric and how environmental variables may have influenced habitat choices. One hundred sixty streams were surveyed throughout 55 counties in West Virginia during the summer of 2007. At each site, a 10 m2 quadrat was established around a central aquatic habitat.
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Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles & Crocodilians
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Legal Authority Over the Use of Native Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States State of the Union
STATE OF THE UNION: Legal Authority Over the Use of Native Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States STATE OF THE UNION: Legal Authority Over the Use of Native Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States Coordinating Editors Priya Nanjappa1 and Paulette M. Conrad2 Editorial Assistants Randi Logsdon3, Cara Allen3, Brian Todd4, and Betsy Bolster3 1Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Washington, DC 2Nevada Department of Wildlife Las Vegas, NV 3California Department of Fish and Game Sacramento, CA 4University of California-Davis Davis, CA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS WE THANK THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS FOR FUNDING AND IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT, EDITING, AND PRODUCTION OF THIS DOCUMENT: US Fish & Wildlife Service Competitive State Wildlife Grant Program funding for “Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Need” proposal, with its five primary partner states: l Missouri Department of Conservation l Nevada Department of Wildlife l California Department of Fish and Game l Georgia Department of Natural Resources l Michigan Department of Natural Resources Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation Arizona Game and Fish Department US Fish & Wildlife Service, International Affairs, International Wildlife Trade Program DJ Case & Associates Special thanks to Victor Young for his skill and assistance in graphic design for this document. 2009 Amphibian & Reptile Regulatory Summit Planning Team: Polly Conrad (Nevada Department of Wildlife), Gene Elms (Arizona Game and Fish Department), Mike Harris (Georgia Department of Natural Resources), Captain Linda Harrison (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), Priya Nanjappa (Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies), Matt Wagner (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department), and Captain John West (since retired, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) Nanjappa, P.
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Key to the Stream Salamanders of Maryland
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Tennessee Salamander Identification
1/24/2010 Salamanders of Tennessee Matthew L. Niemiller 21 January 2010 Salamander Anatomy Costal groove Mental gland Cirri Cornified toe pads Nasolabial groove Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis • Family Cryptobranchidae – Up to 740 mm TL – Lack external gills; gills covered by skin – Flattened heads with small eyes – Conspicuously wrinkled skin along sides to aid in cutaneous respiration – Long oar‐like tails and short robust legs – External fertilization 1 1/24/2010 Mudpuppy Necturus maculosus • Family Proteidae – Up to 40 mm TL – Neotenic; external gills throughout life – Four toes on each foot – Also possess lungs – Long oar‐like tails and short robust legs – Primarily found in rivers in Tennessee Family Ambystomatidae • Large, robust salamanders with short but large, rounded heads • Conspicuous costal grooves present • Nasolabial grooves absent • Possess lungs • Larvae are robust with well‐developed caudal fins and large heads • Six species in Tennessee • Inhabit a variety of habitats but are most common in forests in close proximity to breeding sites, such as ephemeral ponds and flooded meadows • Throughout the majority of the year, adults reside underground in burrows but come to the surface during the breeding season Spotted Salamander Ambystoma maculatum • Up to 248 mm TL • Black to gray ground color with conspicuous yellow to orange paired spots on the dorsum • Males with swollen vents during breeding season • 12 costal grooves • Breeding January ‐ April 2 1/24/2010 Marbled Salamander Ambystoma opacum • Smaller, up to
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Salamander News
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ZOO 4462C – Herpetology Spring 2021, 4 Credits
ZOO 4462C – Herpetology Spring 2021, 4 credits Course Schedule – See page 10 Instructor: Dr. Gregg Klowden (pronounced "Cloud - in”) Office: Room 202A, Biological Sciences E-mail: [email protected] Phone: Please send an email instead Mark Catesby (1731) “Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands” "These foul and loathsome animals . are abhorrent because of their cold body, pale color, cartilaginous skeleton, filthy skin, fierce aspect, calculating eye, offensive smell, harsh voice, squalid habitation, and terrible venom; and so their Creator has not exerted his powers to make many of them." Carolus Linnaeus (1758) ***Email Requirements: I teach several courses and receive a large volume of emails. To help me help you please: 1. format the subject of your email as follows: “Course – Herpetology, Subject - Question about exam 1” 2. include your 1st and last name in the body of all correspondence. I try to respond to emails within 48 hours however, response time may be greater. o Please plan accordingly by not waiting to the last minute to contact me with questions or concerns. All messaging must be done using either Webcourses or your Knight's E-Mail. o Messages from non-UCF addresses will not be answered. Due to confidentiality, questions about grades should be sent via Webcourses messaging, not via email. Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30-11:30a and 2:00-3:00p or by appointment All office hours will be held online via Zoom. An appointment is not necessary. Just log into Zoom using the link posted on Webcourses. You will initially be admitted to a waiting room and Dr.
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