Description: The Ozark zigzag salamander is a small, dark, and slender woodland salamander with a narrow, somewhat lobed stripe running along the back. This dorsal stripe usually has irregular or wavy edges, and it may be yellow, yellow orange, orange, or red. Dark brown or black pigment may invade the dorsal stripe, making it look lobed, or it may cover a large part of the stripe. The dorsal stripe is usually less than one-third the width of the body; it is widest near the hind limbs. Some individuals may lack a dorsal stripe. The belly has white and black mottling. The sides are dark gray or brownish gray with some orange or red and small white flecks. There are 17 to 19 costal grooves (vertical grooves on the sides of the body).
Habitat: Ozark zigzag salamanders live in upland forest areas. They generally live in cooler and damper habitats than those preferred by other lungless salamanders, such as the southern red-backed salamander. Ozark zigzag salamanders live mainly in or under rotten logs, rocks, and leaf litter in seepages near small streams and on steep hillsides, as well as in or near caves.
Range: Ozark region of southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma.
Diet: The diet consists of very small arthropods, including flies, mites, and ants.
Reproduction: Courtship and breeding may occur in autumn, winter, and early spring. Egg-laying primarily occurs in June and early July. Females likely deposit eggs deep underground, in cavities and crevices or in other cool, damp niches that are inaccessible to humans. There are 2 to 5 eggs per clutch. Females remain with the eggs until they hatch in mid-August and early September. The brooding behavior of the females apparently helps to retain moisture in the eggs, reduce fungal outbreaks in the clutch, and protect them from predation. Females apparently usually breed biennially (every other year). Like all other species of their genus, Ozark zigzag salamanders go through complete development in the egg and hatch as tiny replicas of the adults. They become sexually mature at about 2 or 3 years of age.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution and presumed large population.
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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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