Santeetlah Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus santeetlah
The Santeetlah dusky salamander is a medium-sized salamander that varies from light brown to dark brown coloration. Their bellies are often lighter with a yellow wash, po…
How to identify
The Santeetlah dusky salamander is a medium-sized salamander that varies from light brown to dark brown coloration. Their bellies are often lighter with a yellow wash, possessing an evenly keeled tail with salt and pepper patches on its sides. It grows between 2.0 to 4.0 inches in length having a brown dorsum. It also possesses a yellow line from the eye to its jaw angle.
Range
The Desmognathus Santeetlah is commonly sighted at increased altitudes of mountain ranges of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that graces the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.
Habitat
They are found only at temperate higher elevations around freshwater springs, seasonal and perennial rivers. This is necessary as they breathe absorbing oxygen with their moist skin since they are lungless and require an effective means of absorbing oxygen. The Santeetlah Dusky Salamanders feed on small aquatic invertebrates. The female lays about 20 eggs on the moss of logs found in streamside vegetation. Mating involves elaborate courting described as a tail straddle walk. Its hatchlings emerge with external gills briefly surviving as aquatic larvae before growing into adult salamanders in a year and achieving sexual maturity in about one or two more years.
Variations
The Cumberland dusky salamander (Desmognathus abditus) are temperate region salamanders. They are terrestrial animals that feed on invertebrates. They are usually overall brown in coloration with keratinized toes and keeled tails. The Seepage Salamander (Desmognatheus Aeneus) are small and slender salamanders that reach between to 4.4cm to 5.7cm. They possess vomerine teeth with terete and rounded tails. Its dorsum is pale and striped with darker pigmentation. There are darkened brown bands that fade into its belly with the belly being pale with mottled brown and white coloration. The Southern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus auriculatus) is a usually darkened brown to outrightly black salamander that grows to about 6 inches with a long tail and rear legs visibly sturdier than the front limbs. They are occasionally spotted with red white coloration between the limbs.
Similar species
Name and etymology
Santeetlah: Belonging to Santeetlah Creek North Carolina.
At a glance
Range
The Desmognathus Santeetlah is commonly sighted at increased altitudes of mountain ranges of the Great Smoky Mountains Nation…
Habitat
They are found only at temperate higher elevations around freshwater springs, seasonal and perennial rivers. This is necessar…
Guide
Reptiles and Amphibians of North America
Range map
Approximate range. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap