Dwarf black-bellied salamander

Dwarf black-bellied salamander
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Family:	Plethodontidae
Genus:	Desmognathus
Species:	D. folkertsi
Binomial name
Desmognathus folkertsi Camp, Tilley, Austin & Marshall, 2002

The dwarf black-bellied salamander (Desmognathus folkertsi) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.

Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rivers.

The dwarf black-bellied salamander (Desmognathus folkertsi) was originally thought to be the blackbelly salamander (Desmognathus quadramaculatus) as they appear similar and are sympatric in the areas that the dwarf black-bellied salamander is found. They can be distinguished through genetically different loci or morphologically in that D. folkertsi are smaller, have different coloration and patterns, and different proportions in body. ^[2]

References

1. Geoffrey Hammerson (2004). "Desmognathus folkertsi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2004 e.T59248A11906316. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T59248A11906316.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
2. Camp, Carlos D.; Tilley, Stephen G.; Austin, Richard M.; Marshall, Jeremy L. (2002). "A New Species of Black-Bellied Salamander (Genus Desmognathus) from the Appalachian Mountains of Northern Georgia". Herpetologica. 58 (4): 471–484. doi:10.1655/0018-0831(2002)058[0471:ansobs]2.0.co;2. ISSN   0018-0831.