#plethodontidae

[jenfoundabug]

California slender salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus) in a redwood forest. Santa Cruz Mountains, California, US

[herpsandbirds]

Werler’s False Brook Salamander (Pseudoeurycea werleri), family Plethodontidae, Veracruz, Mexico

photographs by Bryce Anderson

[snototter]

A red legged salamander intergrade (Plethodon shermani int. Plethodon teyahalee) in Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina, USA

by Alan Cressler

[alphynix]

There are no salamanders living in the Caribbean today, but one tiny fossil shows that this wasn't always the case.

Palaeoplethodon hispaniolae was discovered in a chunk of amber from the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. The exact age of this type of amber is uncertain, but it most likely dates to the early-to-mid Miocene, about 20-15 million years ago.

The only known specimen is a hatchling, just under 2cm long (0.8"). It's unclear what its full adult size could have been, but based on its modern relatives it may have grown to anywhere between 4.5cm and 20cm long (~2-8").

Its strongly webbed hands and feet suggest it was very closely related to modern tropical climbing salamanders – but Palaeoplethodon had a unique webbing arrangement, with its feet relatively elongated and its hands fully fused into small rounded pads.

———

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References:

Iturralde-Vinent, M. A., and R. D. MacPhee. "Remarks on the age of Dominican amber." Palaeoentomology 2.3 (2019): 236–240. https://doi.org/10.11646/palaeoentomology.2.3.7

Poinar Jr, G., and Wake, David B. "Palaeoplethodon hispaniolae gen. n., sp. n.(Amphibia: Caudata), a fossil salamander from the Caribbean." Palaeodiversity 8 (2015): 21-29. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1f381770

Wikipedia contributors. “Bolitoglossa” Wikipedia, 18 Apr. 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolitoglossa

Wikipedia contributors. “Palaeoplethodon.” Wikipedia, 20 Nov. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaeoplethodon

Wikipedia contributors. “Salamander.” Wikipedia, 7 June 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamander

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Shine a Light on the Cave Salamander

The cave salamander, also known as the spotted salamander (Eurycea lucifuga) is a species of salamander found throughout the eastern United States, particularly in the Appalachian mountains. As the name implies, they are most common in caves with exposed limestone or other calcifying rocks. However, they may also occur under rocks or logs, or in streams in deciduous forests; anywhere that's dark and moist.

The spotted salamander spends almost its entire life in these 'twilight zones'. Mating is believed to occur in summer or early fall, when male salamanders begin to seek out females by tracking their pheromones. Once a male finds a potential mate, he nudges her and rubs his chin on her head until she indicates she's receptive. At that point she straddles his tail while the two walk in tandem. The male then drops a spermatophore-- a sack full of sperm-- on the ground, and the female picks it up with her cloaca. The female lays a clutch of 5 to 120 eggs, but not until several months after fertilization between September and February.

The eggs take about 20 days to hatch, and larvae entirely aquatic, complete with gills and webbed fingers. Individuals can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to fully develop, at which point they leave the water and become fully nocturnal. However, most individuals don't stray far from their original spawning territory, and adults do not maintain or defend set territories.

Despite their reclusive lifestyle, cave salamanders are quite striking. Adults are bright orange or red with black spots, and can be anywhere from 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) in length. Over half of that length is taken up by the tail, and males have a longer tail than females. As lungless salamanders, E. lucifuga breathes through its skin and the tissues around its mouth-- while useful for an aquatic animal, this type of respiration makes it essential that the cave salamander remains in a wet environment.

Both larvae and adults are insectivorous, consuming a number of invertebrates including spiders, snails, beetles, earthworms, and ticks. Potential predators of the spotted salamander include bats, shrews, racoons, and snakes, though few specifics are known about the species' ecology. To deter these predators, E. lucifuga adopts a defensive posture in which they coil their body and wave their tail over their head. In addition, they secrete a foul-tasting substance from their skin, and their bright coloration likely warns potential predators that they won't make a good meal.

Conservation status: The IUCN has classified the cave salamander as Least Concern, although they are listed as Endangered in several of the American states in which they occur. The greatest threat to the species is thought to be human disturbance or habitat degredation from pollution of the water systems which flow through the caves where E. lucifuga resides.

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Photos

Todd Pierson

Michael Graziano

[terranlifeform]

Northern grotto salamander (Eurycea nerea) inside an Ozark cave system in Missouri, U.S.

Chad Harrison

[birdblues]

Yellow-eyed Ensatina

[fivetrench]

Absolutely stunning photo set captured by my aunt, modeled by me (and the flying salamander)

[vyva-melinkolya]

Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)

[typhlonectes]

Bolitoglossa mexicana, Rio Negro Honduras

Bolitoglossine salamanders are usually arboreal salamanders, which are often found on leaves and tree trunks after rains. They are also sometime found in epiphytic bromeliads, ferns, and other plants. 

Bolitoglossines are in the family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders. They respirate through the skin and the lining of their mouths. This genus is also referred to as the “mushroom tongued salamanders”. They use that distinctive tongue, by shooting it out, almost chameleon style, to grab small invertebrate prey, and pull it back into their mouths.

These salamanders have 2 distinct foot types that help them climb trees and other plants:  1. heavily webbed (like the salamander pictured above) or 2. long thin toes. They are also capable of tail autonomy and regrowth.

This genus (Bolitoglossa) is found only in the American tropics, concentrated mostly in Central America. 1/5 of all salamander species are in this genus, making Central America a major diversity hotspot for salamanders (behind only the Appalachian Mountain region and Pacific Northwest of North America).

This is absolutely one of my favorite groups of animals!

photograph by Josiah Townsend | Flickr CC

[colorsoutofearth]

"Body Language" by Mac Stone

[herpsandbirds]

Robust Climbing Salamander (Bolitoglossa robusta), family Plethodontidae, Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica

Photograph by Piotr Naskrecki

[snototter]

A red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) emerges from a stream in North Georgia, USA

by Noah K. Fields

[hells-favorite]

we found all seven of these under one log

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

In the animal kingdom, sentimentality doesn't go very far. Female red back salamanders spend about two months guarding their clutch, which contains anywhere from 4 to 17 eggs. However, if any of the eggs die she won't hesitate to eat them-- not only does she gain valuable nutrients, but eating the dead eggs helps prevent the spread of infection to the rest of the clutch. Though it may seem gruesome, this behavior is common among egg-laying animals.

(Image: A red back salamander (Plethodon cinereus) by Will Lattea)

If you send me proof that you’ve made a donation to UNRWA or another organization benefiting Palestinians– including esim donations– I’ll make art of any animal of your choosing.

[hellbenderr]

#1 to me. siskiyou mountains salamander (Plethodon stormi)