Herpetology

Salamanders

Salamanders Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Amphibia Order: Caudata Family: Genus: Specific:

Family: Cryptobranchidae Eastern Hellbender

Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis

5 toes on hind foot

Gill slits

Huge

Breathes from folds on sides

Family: Proteidae Common Mudpuppy

Necturus maculosus maculosus

External gills

Four toes on feet

Family: Salamandridae Red spotted Newt

Notophthalmus v. viridescens

Longitudinal ridge on head

No costal grooves

No nasolabial grooves

Family: Ambystomatidae1) Ambystoma barbouri Streamside Salamander2) Ambystoma texanum Small-mouthed Salamander3) Ambystoma jeffersonianum Jefferson Salamander4) Ambystoma maculatum Spotted Salamander5) Ambystoma opacumMarbled Salamander

Stream-side and Small Mouth Ambystoma barbouri

Found in Wayne county

Has a small mouth The barber by the

stream from Wayne Co.

Ambystoma texanum

Found in Wood county

Small mouth

A. texanum/A. barbouri Distribution

Stream-side SalamanderAmbystoma barbouri

Found in Wayne county

Has a small mouth

Black or brown color

Toes do not meet

Small-mouthed SalamanderAmbystoma texanum

Found in Wood, Mason counties

Small mouth

Toes do not meet

Black / brown color

Short face

Jefferson SalamanderAmbystoma

jeffersonianum

Has a flat head

Slender

Long long toes

Spotted SalamanderAmbystoma maculatum

Has spots

Dark color

2 rows of spots down back

Costal grooves

Chunky salamander

Marbled SalamanderAmbystoma opacum

Black and white hourglass spots on back

Chunky Monkey

Family: Plethodontidae

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Aneides

Green SalamanderAneides aeneus

Head is broad and flat

Toe tips are square and expanded

Slender

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Desmognathus

Northern Dusky SalamanderDesmognathus fuscus

Bottom lighter than belly

Spots on back random

Keeled tail

Distinct lines down sides

Seal SalamanderDesmognathus monticola

No strip at sides

Belly is pale

Keeled tail

Back is darker with scallop like spots

Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander Desmognathus

ochrophaeusLooks like 2 line but mouth

downward

Slender

Line from eye to mouth

Light line down back

Black-Bellied SalamanderDesmognathus

quadramaculatus

Costal grooves

Nasolabial grooves

Line from eye to mouth

Black body, brown head

Keeled tail

Black Mountain SalamanderDesmognathus welteri

Not on Lab Exam

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Gyrinophilus

Spring Salamanders Gyrinophilus p. porphyriticus

Northern Spring Salamander

Gyrinophilus porphyriticus duryi

Kentucky Spring Salamander

Gyrinophilus subterraneus

West Virginia Spring Salamander

Gyrinophilus Distribution

Spring Salamanders

Nasolabial grooves Central pedicel Line posterior from

eye toward back of body

Keel on tail Spots on back Lighter belly

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Hemidactylium

Four-toed SalamanderHemidactylium scutatum

Tail longer than body

Tail pinched at base

4:4 toes

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Eurycea

Two-Lined Salamanders Eurycea bislineata

Northern Two-lined Salamander

Eurycea cirrigera

Southern Two-lined Salamander

E. bislineata/E. cirrigera Distribution

Two-Lined Salamanders

Narrow black line down both sides

Light mid-dorsal strip Slender

Long-tailed SalamanderEurycea l. longicauda

Yellow in color

Spotted on back

Lateral black bars on the tail

No spots on belly

Tail longer than body

Cave SalamanderEurycea lucifuga

Tail longer than body

Irregular black spots and dashes

Big eyes

Slender

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Plethodon

Eastern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon cinereus

Nasolabial grooves

Costal grooves

Large line down back

Spotted (salt and pepper) belly

Slender

Plethodon (large) Slimy Plethodon cylindraceus White-spotted Slimy Salamander Plethodon glutinosus Northern Slimy Salamander Plethodon kentucki

Cumberland Plateau Salamander

P. glutinosus Complex

Slimy Salamanders

Spots uniformly distributed along body

Lighter chin

Plethodon (small) Plethodon electromorphus

Northern Ravine Salamander Plethodon hoffmani

Valley and Ridge Salamander Plethodon nettingi

Cheat Mountain Salamander Plethodon richmondi

Southern Ravine Salamander Plethodon virginia

Shenandoah Mountain Salamander

Plethodon (small)

Small Slender Dark Bodies Worms with legs

Eastern Small Plethodon Complex

Plethodon (large) Plethodon wehrlei

Wehrle’s Salamander

Plethodon punctatus

Cow Knob Salamander

Wehrle’s or Cow Knob

Dark salamander Lighter throat White spots mainly

along sides (faint)

Cow Knob

P. werhlei/P. punctatus Distribution

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Pseudotriton

Midland Mud SalamanderPseudotriton montanus

diastictus

Nasolabial groove (faint)

Central pedicel

30 –40 spots scattered

Salmon, red color

Northern Red SalamanderPseudotriton r. ruber

Nasolabial grooves

Costal grooves

Irregular black dots (40+)

No spots at end of tail

Belly pale

Map of Counties of West Virginia

What is it?

What is it?