Shenandoah Salamander

Plethodon shenandoah

Shenandoah Salamander

SNSA

Status

The Shenandoah Salamander is both state and federally listed as endangered.

Reasons for Current Status

This salamander is listed due to its restricted range and habitat. It is apparently experiencing a restriction of habitat due to competition with Plethodon cinereus. Populations should be watched carefully to insure that the habitat is not modified to the detriment of this salamander.

Description

The Shenandoah Salamander is an elongate, slender salamander (7–11 cm). There are two color morphs: a striped and an unstriped. The striped morph has a red stripe down its back, whereas the unstriped is uniformly dark. The lateral and ventral pigmentation is black. Normally this species has eighteen costal grooves in contrast to the sympatric Plethodon cinereus, which has nineteen costal grooves.

Distribution

The Shenandoah Salamander is confined to the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia. It is known from the northwest slopes of Hawksbill Mountain, Stony Man Mountain, and the Pinnacles in Shenandoah National Park (Madison and Page counties, Virginia) at elevations above 900 meters (2950 ft).

Habitat

Plethodon shenandoah occurs in deep pockets of soil within talus on the north and northwest faces of its three mountains. It occurs in mixed conifer-deciduous forests. The salamanders are always in or within the vicinity of talus, either under rocks or surface debris where moisture conditions are favorable.

Special Requirements

This salamander requires talus slopes with deep soil pockets.

Breeding Habits

The Shenandoah Salamander has direct development. Very little is known about reproduction in this species, but it is thought to deposit eggs in early summer, with hatching occurring in late summer to fall. Females probably guard the eggs until hatching.

Food Habits

Their diet consists of small arthropods and earthworms.

Management Suggestions

Care should be taken to avoid activities which disturb the limited talus habitats of this salamander. Any construction of trails, roads or overlooks within Shenandoah National Park should be carefully monitored so as not to impact this salamander’s restricted habitat.

Additional References

Dodd 1979; Highton 1988a; Highton and Worthington 1967; Martof and others 1980.