Coeur d'Alene Salamander (Plethodon idahoensis)
Description: P. idahoensis specimens are slender salamanders 2 to 4 inches long. The adult has a nasolabial groove, parotoid glands, and parasphenoid teeth. Coloration and markings key to characterizing this species include a dark ground color with a yellow-gold dorsal stripe that extends the length of the organism, as well as ventral yellow patches on the throat. The toes of the Coeur d'Alene salamander are shorter than those of the long-toed salamander, which aids in distinguishing the two species.
Habitat: The preferred territory of P. idahoensis is in the corridors of stream riparian zones, in the splash zone of waterfalls, near seeps and springs, or in stream-side scree. Specimens are usually associated with fractured rock formations in moist environments, often localized around fresh, moving water.
Range: While the majority of this species is localized in northern Idaho, some instances of capture/sighting in western Montana and southeastern British Columbia have occurred. About 95% of observed populations in Idaho and Montana have been verified extant since 1987.
Found in these States:
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MT
Diet: Coeur d'Alene salamanders are known to eat aquatic insects and other invertebrates, which are also active at night.
Reproduction: The eggs of the Coeur d'Alene salamander have a unique appearance, as well. They are not pigmented and occur in grape-like clusters, attached by a single thread. Clutch size varies from a small cluster (about four) to 13.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large extent of occurrence, large number of sub-populations and localities, and large population size.
»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
»» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
»» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
»» Class: Amphibia - (Amphibians)
»» Order: Caudata - Salamanders
»» Family: Plethodontidae - Lungless Salamanders
»» Genus: Plethodon
»» Species: Plethodon idahoensis - Coeur d'Alene Salamander
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Coeur d'Alene Salamander", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
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