Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander

Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Caudata
Family:	Plethodontidae
Genus:	Desmognathus
Species:	D. ochrophaeus
Binomial name
Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope, 1859

The Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus) is a species in the Plethodontidae (lungless salamander) family. It is found in Canada and the United States. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater springs, and rocky areas.

Description

D. ochrophaeus is a medium-sized salamander that can grow to about 10 cm in length. Adults are brownish and can have a widely variable coloration pattern. Usually, it has a light stripe down the back, with a row of dark spots on the centre and flanked by dark pigments. As in all members of the genus, the hind legs are larger and stouter than the front legs. This species belongs to the "lungless salamander" family (Plethodontidae), and adults must keep their skin moist to breathe. It is a somewhat terrestrial salamander that can be found under stones, logs, and bark near springs, streams and other areas where the ground is saturated with water.

Protection

Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007 protects D. ochrophaeus from being killed, harmed, or possessed. Salamanders are protected on Niagara Parks Commission property under the Niagara Parks Act, which makes it illegal to hunt, trap, or molest any animal without a government permit. A Dusky Salamander Recovery Team has been established to develop a strategy for the recovery of this species and the related Northern dusky salamander (D. fuscus).

References

• Hammerson, G. 2004. Desmognathus ochrophaeus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 July 2007.

• Royal Ontario Museum page on the Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander