Cave salamander (spotted-tail)

Last updated

Cave salamander
Eurycea lucifuga in natural habitat.jpg
Adult Eurycea lucifuga
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Eurycea
Species:
E. lucifuga
Binomial name
Eurycea lucifuga
Rafinesque, 1822

The cave salamander or spotted-tail salamander (Eurycea lucifuga) is a species of brook salamander in the family Plethodontidae. [2] . It is well known for living in and around caves in the southeast United States. Adult cave salamanders are bright orange with black spots. This species is, somewhat vaguely, referred to by the common name of 'cave salamander'; however, it is not restricted to caves, but is known for inhabiting surface-level, terrestrial, woodland habitats, as well.

Contents

Description

The cave salamander is a relatively large lungless salamander, ranging in total length from 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in). The tail makes up a significant proportion of the total length, up to 60–65%. [3] Post-metamorphic individuals have orange to reddish orange backs and a pale, unmarked ventral surface. The dorsal surface of the body is heavily marked with irregularly spaced spots and dashes. [4] The limbs of the cave salamander are long. There are 14–15 costal grooves on the side of the body. This species has a prehensile tail. [5]

Naming confusion

The name 'cave salamander' can be confusing because the term is also used more generally to describe cave-dwelling salamanders. Despite its name, the cave salamander is much less cave adapted than other cave-dwelling salamanders like the olm or Texas blind salamander. Unlike the more cave-adapted species, the cave salamander is brightly pigmented, has eyes, and does not exhibit neoteny.

Habitat and distribution

Cave salamanders are typically found in areas with exposed limestone or other calcareous rock, particularly in crevices of rock faces, bluffs and caves. [6] This species is also frequently found hundreds of metres from the mouths of caves, far beyond the twilight zone of the cave. [7] Despite its name, the cave salamander is not restricted to caves, and may be found in forests near bluffs and rocky crevices and around springs, and also under moist rocks and logs. [5] [8] This species is found in Alabama, Arkansas [9] Illinois, [10] Missouri, [11] Kentucky, Virginia, [12] West Virginia, [10] Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kansas, Indiana, and Ohio.

In Arkansas Eurycea lucifuga (Cave Salamander) (3679650501).jpg
In Arkansas

Courtship and reproduction

The courtship and mating season is not well documented in this species, although available data suggests it occurs in the summer, continuing to early autumn. Observations made from a pair maintained in captivity are summarized as follows: The courtship of this species is described as similar to that of the Northern two-lined salamander; where the male nudges and rubs his chin on the females’ head and snout. The male may engage in ‘push-ups’ using his hind legs, and begin to position the base of his tail under the females. If receptive, she will straddle his tail as they walk in unison, while the male arches his back. A spermatophore, approximately 4 mm high is deposited on the ground in the females path, which she picks up with her cloaca. [13] After mating, there seems to be a prolonged period in which the females deposit eggs, taking place from September to February. [5] Few biologists have found eggs of the cave salamander, suggesting that females seek difficult to access places, such as springs, streams and rim stone pools deep within caves and crevices. In Missouri, eggs have been found laid singly or attached to the sides of rimstone pools, on silt deposits or on the bottom of small pools. Recently laid eggs are white, with two jelly membranes surrounding the embryo. Egg diameter ranges from 2.5 to 3.2 mm. [14] Females can produce between 5–120 eggs. [15]

Larval ecology

Larval cave salamanders appear similar to other larval Eurycea. Larvae have been found in both surface streams, and in cave streams and pools. It is thought that larvae found in surface streams may have been washed out of caves and crevices by heavy rains. Cave salamander larvae are predators, and feed primarily on benthic invertebrates, such as snails, ostracods, copepods, isopods, mayflies, stoneflies, beetles and flies, of which ostracods, snails and fly larvae are the most common dietary item. Prey is captured by slowly crawling over the substrate and grasping the invertebrate by the mouth and swallowing it whole, thus prey is limited by the gape of the salamanders mouth. [16] From hatching to metamorphosis to a terrestrial adult takes between 6 and 18 months, although this period is variable by region. [5] Larvae may attain sizes of 70 mm (33 mm snout-to-vent-length) by the time of metamorphosis. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salamander</span> Order of amphibians

Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten extant salamander families are grouped together under the order Urodela from the group Caudata. Urodela is a scientific Latin term based on the Ancient Greek οὐρά δήλη: ourà dēlē "conspicuous tail". Caudata is the Latin for "tailed ones", from cauda: "tail".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plethodontidae</span> Family of amphibians

Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. With over 500 species, lungless salamanders are by far the largest family of salamanders in terms of their diversity. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil. Only two extant genera occur in the Eastern Hemisphere: Speleomantes and Karsenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The fire salamander is a common species of salamander found in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas blind salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The Texas blind salamander is a rare and endangered cave-dwelling troglobite amphibian native to San Marcos, Hays County, Texas, specifically the San Marcos Pool of the Edwards Aquifer. This species resembles the olm, another stygofaunal salamander from Europe. Unlike the olm, this amphibian's body is not as elongated, and also has less reduced digits on its limbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small-mouth salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The small-mouth salamander is a species of mole salamander found in the central United States, from the Great Lakes region in Michigan to Nebraska, south to Texas, and east to Tennessee, with a population in Canada, in Pelee, Ontario. It is sometimes referred to as the Texas salamander, porphyry salamander, or the narrow-mouthed salamander. The Kelley's Island salamander was synonymized with A. texanum in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrenean brook salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The Pyrenean brook salamander or Pyrenean newt, , is a largely aquatic species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is found in the Pyrenees of Andorra, France, and Spain. The IUCN lists it as least concern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Near Eastern fire salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The Near Eastern fire salamander, in Arabic arouss al-ayn, is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae found in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Its natural habitats are subtropical dry shrubland and forests, often near rivers and freshwater springs. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seepage salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The seepage salamander is a small, terrestrial species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States. They are found in small areas of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, intermittent rivers, and freshwater springs. It gets its name from the seepages around which it lives. It is very similar in its appearance and life history to the pygmy salamander. These two species differ greatly from the other Desmognathus species. They are the smallest salamanders in the genus, measuring only 3–5 cm (1–2 in) in length. They are also the only two terrestrial, direct-developing Desmognathus species. However, the two species are not often seen to coexist, differing in distribution by elevation; although there are exceptions. The seepage salamander is currently listed as Near Threatened, with its numbers declining in most of states in which it is found. It is threatened by habitat loss, with logging having a major effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocoee salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The ocoee salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. This salamander has a variety of colors and patterns, and got its name from Tennessee state wildflower. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater springs and wet rocks in mountainous areas of the Southeastern United States. It was first described by Nicholls in 1949. They are territorial and feed on small invertebrates. It is widely distributed in the southeastern United States and is listed as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern two-lined salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The northern two-lined salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae found in Canada and the United States. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater marshes, freshwater springs, arable land, and urban areas. It is more water-oriented than the related northern redback salamander, and can often be found in and around water such as rain puddles, streams, swamps, and damp stream beds, whereas the northern redback tends to be found in damp ground, but usually not near open water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamberlain's dwarf salamander</span> Species of amphibian

Chamberlain's dwarf salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the United States. It is only found in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. It was previously thought to be a color morph of the southeastern dwarf salamander, but was described in 2003 as a distinct species based on distinct morphology and behavior. A 2017 study reaffirmed it as being a distinct species. It is estimated that E. chamberlaini diverged from E. quadridigitata anywhere from 27 to 15 million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three-lined salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The three-lined salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the south-eastern United States. This species was classified as a sub-species of long tailed salamanders until DNA sequencing revealed that there was no hybridization between the two species. Like other Plethodontidae species, E. guttolineata captures prey via tongue projection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junaluska salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The Junaluska salamander is a species of lungless salamander native to the south-eastern United States. It was first described by David M. Sever, Harold M. Dundee, and Charles D. Sullivan who found the species in the range from the Cheoah River, Santeetlah Creek, and Tululah Creek in Graham County of North Carolina. Adults of this species can be found near large, rocky streams and on rainy nights on roads in the areas specified. The salamander is characterized by brownish-yellow coloration with a series of small dots along the body and a robust build compared to the other salamanders in Eurycea. The Junaluska salamander's breeding habits tend to be in large streams where the eggs are laid and attached to the bottom of rocks in the streams where they are found. According to the overall conservation listing for IUCN, this species is listed as Vulnerable. Conservation acts are important in both North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, since the population of this species in each state is so small.

<i>Eurycea longicauda</i> Species of amphibian

Eurycea longicauda, commonly known as the long-tailed salamander or longtail salamander, is a species of lungless salamander native to the Appalachian Region of the eastern United States. It is a "cave salamander" that frequents twilight zones of caves and also inhabits springs and surrounding forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Ridge two-lined salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The Blue Ridge two-lined salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae, endemic to the United States. This species is found in the southern Appalachian Mountains, mostly south of Virginia. To the north is a similar salamander, Eurycea bislineata, or the northern two-lined salamander. Its genus, Eurycea contains 33 species and includes taxa that have either a metamorphic life cycle or larval-form paedomorphosis. In species that metamorphose, there can be within-and among-population variation in larval life-history characteristics, e.g., duration of the larval period and size at metamorphosis. Intraspecific geographic variation in species of Eurycea has been attributed to several factors: temperature, stream order and productivity of the larval habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The spring salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is found in Canada and the United States. The genus, Gyrinophilus, means "tadpole lover" and refers to the long period of time it spends as a gilled larva before maturing. The specific epithet, porphyriticus, is Latin from Greek, meaning the color of porphyry, a purple stone, and this salamander has also been called the purple salamander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The red salamander is a species of salamander in the family (Plethodontidae) endemic to the eastern United States. Its skin is orange/red with random black spots. Its habitats are temperate forests, small creeks, ponds, forests, temperate shrubland, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater, trees springs. Overall this species is common and widespread, but locally it has declined because of habitat loss and it is considered threatened in Indiana and New York. Red salamanders eat insects, earthworms, spiders, small crustaceans, snails, and smaller salamanders. To eat, they extend their tongue to capture prey on the tip of it and retract it back into their mouths. The red salamander, as a member of the family Plethodontidae lacks lungs and respires through its skin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western grotto salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The western grotto salamander, also called the Ozark blind salamander and previously known as just the grotto salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its natural habitats are freshwater springs, inland karsts, and caves. It is not currently threatened, but vulnerable to changes in groundwater quality and reduction in bat population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green salamander</span> Species of amphibian

The green salamander is a species of lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It and the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander are the only currently-described members of the genus Aneides that inhabit any areas in the eastern half of United States. Rarely seen in the field, the green salamander is an extremely habitat-specific species that is seldom found away from its preferred surroundings: moist, shaded rock crevices. Green salamanders have one of the most specialized niches of any salamander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern grotto salamander</span> Species of salamander

The northern grotto salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the south-central United States.

References

  1. ↑ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2022). "Eurycea lucifuga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2022: e.T59269A196339688. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T59269A196339688.en . Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ↑ Conant, R.; Collins, J.T. (1998). Peterson Field Guides: Reptiles and Amphibians (Eastern/Central North America). New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN   0395904528.
  3. ↑ Hutchison, V.H. (1966). Eurycea lucifuga. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. pp. 24.1–24.2
  4. ↑ Lannoo, M.J. (1998). Status and Conservation of Midwestern Amphibians. Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa Press. ISBN   0877456321.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Petranka, J.W. (1998). Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN   1588343081.
  6. ↑ Banta, A.M.; McAtee, W.L. (1906). "The life history of the cave salamander, Spelerpes maculicaudus (Cope)". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 30 (1443): 67–73. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.30-1443.67. hdl:10088/13873.
  7. ↑ Peck, S.B.; Richardson, B.L. (1976). "Feeding ecology of the salamander Eurycea lucifuga in the entrance, twilight zone, and dark zone of caves". Annales de Spéléologie. 31: 175–182.
  8. ↑ Mount, R.H. (1975). The Reptiles and Amphibians of Alabama. Auburn, Alabama: Auburn Printing. ISBN   0817300546.
  9. ↑ "Salamanders". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  10. 1 2 Conant, R.; J.T. Collins, J.T. (1998). A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN   0395904528.
  11. ↑ Johnson, T.; Love, K. (1987). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri. Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri Department of Conservation. ISBN   1887247092.
  12. ↑ Smith, Hobart M. (1978). Amphibians of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York, New York: Golden Press. p. 160 ISBN   0307636623
  13. ↑ Organ, J.A. (1968). "Courtship behavior and spermatophore of the cave salamander, Eurycea lucifuga (Rafinesque)". Copeia. 1968 (3): 576–580. doi:10.2307/1442027. JSTOR   1442027.
  14. ↑ Green, N.B.; Brant, P. Jr.; Dowler, B. (1967). "Eurycea lucifuga in West Virginia: its distribution, ecology and life history". Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science. 39: 297–304.
  15. ↑ Bishop, S. (1994). Handbook of Salamanders: The Salamanders of the United States, of Canada, and of Lower California. London: Comstock Publishing Associates. ISBN   0801482135.
  16. ↑ Rudolph, D.C. (1978). "Aspects of the larval ecology of five Plethodontid salamanders of the western Ozarks". The American Naturalist. 100 (1): 141–159. doi:10.2307/2424785. JSTOR   2424785.
  17. ↑ Williams, A.A. (1980). "Fluctuations in a population of the cave salamander". National Speleological Society Bulletin. 42: 49–52.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.