NC and TN Salamanders, May 2013
Brian and Jason Folt and I spent a few days in mid May camping and
exploring the mountains around the North Carolina - Tennessee border.
This area, the Southern Appalachian region, has the highest diversity of
salamanders of any place on earth. Need I say more?
Here's a few of the things we saw, in chronological order.
![](cylindraceus_10may13_2b.jpg)
White-spotted Slimy Salamander (Plethodon cylindraceus).
![](pleth_montanus_10may13_1b.jpg)
Northern Gray-cheeked Salamander (Plethodon montanus).
![](pleth_montanus_10may13_2b.jpg)
Worth another pose...
![](cylindraceus_10may13_3b.jpg)
White-spotted Slimy Salamander (Plethodon cylindraceus).
![](cinereus_10may13b.jpg)
Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus).
![](orestes_10may13b.jpg)
Blue Ridge Dusky Salamander ( Desmognathus orestes).
![](yonahlossee_10may13_1b.jpg)
Yonahlossee Salamander (Plethodon yonahlossee).
![](yonahlossee_10may13_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](welleri_10may13_1b.jpg)
Weller's Salamander (Plethodon welleri).
![](welleri_10may13_2b.jpg)
Up close.
![](welleri_10may13_3b.jpg)
Another pose.
![](enewt_10may13b.jpg)
A Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens)
found crawling across a road.
![](springsal_10may13_1b.jpg)
Blue Ridge Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus danielsi),
as found by Brian while hiking around at night.
![](springsal_10may13_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](cylindraceus_10may13_4b.jpg)
White-spotted Slimy Salamander (Plethodon cylindraceus),
found while hiking at night.
![](desmog_11may13b.jpg)
I think this is a juvenile Black-bellied Salamander
(Desmognathus quadramaculatus).
![](springsal_11may13_1b.jpg)
Blue Ridge Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus danielsi).
![](springsal_11may13_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](folts_11may13b.jpg)
The Folt boyz photographing the above Spring Salamander.
![](habitat_11may13_1b.jpg)
A brook and rhododendron.
![](pleth_montanus_11may13_2b.jpg)
Northern Gray-cheeked Salamander (Plethodon montanus).
![](pleth_montanus_11may13_3b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](yonahlossee_11may13_1b.jpg)
Yonahlossee Salamander (Plethodon yonahlossee).
![](yonahlossee_11may13_2b.jpg)
Up close.
![](yonahlossee_11may13_3b.jpg)
Another pose.
![](enewt_11may13b.jpg)
Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens),
as found on the forest floor.
![](habitat_11may13_2b.jpg)
Waterfall.
![](yonahlossee_11may13_4b.jpg)
Yonahlossee Salamander (Plethodon yonahlossee).
![](yonahlossee_11may13_5b.jpg)
Another look.
![](quadra_11may13b.jpg)
Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus quadramaculatus).
![](wilderae_11may13b.jpg)
Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea wilderae).
![](ruber_11may13b.jpg)
Blue Ridge Red Salamander larva (Pseudotriton ruber nitidus).
![](springsal_11may13_3b.jpg)
Blue Ridge Spring Salamander larva
(Gyrinophilus porphyriticus danielsi).
![](monticola_11may13b.jpg)
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola).
![](desmog_12may13_1b.jpg)
Imitator Salamander (Desmognathus imitator).
![](desmog_12may13_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](desmog_12may13_3b.jpg)
A Desmognathus, not sure of the species.
![](marmoratus_12may13_1b.jpg)
Shovel-nosed Salamander (Desmognathus marmoratus).
![](marmoratus_12may13_2b.jpg)
They really do have a shovel nose...
![](marmoratus_12may13_3b.jpg)
A ventral shot.
![](desmog_12may13_4b.jpg)
Another Desmognathus, where I am not sure of the species...
![](imitator_12may13_1b.jpg)
Imitator Salamander (Desmognathus imitator).
![](imitator_12may13_2b.jpg)
Another Imitator Salamander.
![](jordani_12may13_1b.jpg)
Red-cheeked Salamander (Plethodon jordani).
![](jordani_12may13_2b.jpg)
Another pose.
![](jordani_12may13_3b.jpg)
A loser look.
![](imitator_12may13_3b.jpg)
Imitator Salamander (Desmognathus imitator).
![](imitator_12may13_4b.jpg)
Up close.
![](wrighti_12may13b.jpg)
Pygmy Salamander (Desmognathus wrighti).
We were very happy to see one of these.
I lifted a large rock and immediately saw two large
Red-cheeked Salamanders. Fortunately my companions noticed
this guy...
![](serratus_13may13b.jpg)
Southern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon serratus).
![](springsal_13may13_1b.jpg)
Blue Ridge Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus danielsi).
![](springsal_13may13_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](desmog_13may13b.jpg)
A Desmognathus, not sure of the species.
![](ruber_13may13_1b.jpg)
Black-chinned Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber schencki).
![](ruber_13may13_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
![](ruber_13may13_3b.jpg)
Another Black-chinned Red Salamander.
![](ruber_13may13_4b.jpg)
A different pose.
![](ruber_13may13_5b.jpg)
They don't call it a Black-chinned Red Salamander for nothing.
![](scenery_14may13b.jpg)
Mountain scenery. The trees were just starting to leaf out at the higher
elevations.
![](aneides_14may13_1b.jpg)
Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus).
![](aneides_14may13_2b.jpg)
A closer look.
That's it. a good time was had by all.