Description: The adult Shenandoah salamander is slender and moderate in size, with a total length of 3.5 to 4.5 inches. The species has two distinct color phases: striped and unstriped. The striped color phase has a narrow stripe down the center of its back that can range in color from red to yellow, while the unstriped color phase is uniformly dark with occasional scattered brass-colored flecks. In both color phases, white or yellow spots occur along the sides of the body. The Shenandoah salamander is similar in appearance to the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus). However, the two species can be distinguished in many ways. The stripe on the Shenandoah salamander takes up one-third of its dorsal area, while the stripe on the red-backed salamander is wider and takes up approximately two-thirds of the dorsal area. In addition, the Shenandoah salamander lacks the “salt and pepper” color pattern on its underside that is characteristic of P. cinereus, and has a slightly larger and more broadly rounded head.
Habitat: The talus slopes are typically dry, so the Shenandoah salamander is generally found within moist microhabitats scattered throughout the talus environment. Although the dry talus slopes are not optimal, the Shenandoah salamander is excluded from optimal forested areas containing deep, moist soil due to competition with the red-backed salamander.
Range: The Shenandoah salamander species is believed to have originated in the Appalachians of eastern North America, though the historical abundance of this species is unknown. Currently, Shenandoah salamanders are exclusively found on the north-facing talus slopes of three mountains within the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia: Hawksbill, The Pinnacles, and Stony Man. Each of the three talus slopes houses an isolated salamander population residing at approximately 3,000 feet above sea level.
Diet: Like most woodland salamanders, the Shenandoah salamander eats mites, flies, small beetles, springtails, and other soil invertebrates.
Reproduction: The Shenandoah salamander’s life history is not well understood, though adult salamanders have a high survival rate, some even reaching 25 years of age.[6] Like many salamanders, the breeding season for the Shenandoah salamander occurs during late spring or summer. Female salamanders do not breed prior to 4 years of age and lay an average clutch size of 13 eggs every other year. Clutches are laid in areas of moisture and incubate for 1 to 3 months. Fertilization occurs internally and the entire developmental process takes place within the egg—there is no aquatic larval stage. For the duration of the incubation period, females guard the nest and do not forage.
Status: Listed as Critically Endangered because its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 47 km2, it is considered to occur in one threat-defined location, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat in Shenandoah National Park due to invasive species and climate change drying out the habitat and competition with native species.
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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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