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Desmognathus santeetlah

Tilley, 1981

Santeetlah Dusky Salamander

G3Vulnerable (G3G4) Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
High - lowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101251
Element CodeAAAAD03110
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusDesmognathus
Other Common Names
Santeetlah dusky salamander (EN)
Concept Reference
Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Desmognathus santeetlah hybridizes extensively with D. conanti along the northwestern escarpment of the Great Smoky Mountains (Tilley 1988). Recognition of Desmognathus santeetlah as a distinct species is questionable under the biological species concept. Hence, Petranka reduced Desmognathus santeetlah to a subspecies of D. fuscus. Tilley (2000) pointed out that Desmognathus santeetlah populations are phenotypically distinctive and represent a an evolutionary lineage; he treated Desmognathus santeetlah as a species under the evolutionary/phylogenetic species concepts. Desmognathus santeetlah occurs with D. conanti without hybridization in the Unicoi Mountains, but this may be due to allopatry on a microgeographic scale (Tilley 1981, 2000; Petranka 1998).

Beamer and Lamb (2008) examined mtDNA variation among Desmognathus populations in the Gulf and Atlantic coastal plains (and some nearby localities outside the Coastal Plain). Based on these genetic results, in conjunction with morphological observations, they concluded that the taxonomic and geographic scopes of several Desmognathus species should be modified from their traditional concepts. The authors determined that the Desmognathus conanti clade includes Desmognathus santeetlah, which renders D. conanti paraphyletic. Pyron et al. (2022) confirmed D. santeetlah to be monophyletic and Pyron and Beamer (2023) resolved the taxonomic status of the D. conanti complex.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Biotics v1
Review Date2019-06-25
Change Date2002-03-21
Edition Date2019-06-25
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2002), and M. K. Clausen (2002), rev. R. L. Gundy (2019)
Threat ImpactHigh - low
Range Extent1000-5000 square km (about 400-2000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Rank Reasons
Small range in the mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Apparently stable, but not well monitored. Several threats may cause future declines in this species.
Range Extent Comments
This species lives at higher elevations of the Unicoi, Cheoah, Great Smoky, and Great Balsam mountain ranges of the southwestern Blue Ridge Physiographic Province in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee (Tilley 2000). This species lives at elevations of 640-1805 m (2100-5920 ft), usually above 1000 m (3,280 ft.) (Conant and Collins 1991, Tilley 2000).
Occurrences Comments
Tilley (2000) mapped more than 100 collection sites; these represent at least a few dozen distinct occurrences (assuming a separation gap of 1 km between occurrences).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats from anthropogenic climate change are likely the major threats. Milanovich et al. (2010) predicted drastic declines by 2080 due to climate change. The deadly Ranavirus pathogen was found in D. santeetlah in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Gray et al. 2009, Sutton et al. 2015) and other congeners farther south (Rothermel et al. 2013).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Stream headwaters and seepage areas, where ground water percolates to surface through muck, mossy rocks, IMPATIENS, and nettles. Under rocks in a few mm of water at margins of seeps, among gravel and cobble where water percolates. Eggs are laid mostly beneath mosses growing on rocks, on logs, or on soil surface. Nest sites 16-83 cm from nearest open water, commonly beneath mosses on logs lying in and around seepage areas (Jones 1986).

Reproduction

Lays clutch averaging 21 eggs, mostly in June. Hatching occurs in lab in 50-60 days. Males sexually mature in about 2 years, females in about 3 years (Jones 1986).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - Mixed
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
TennesseeS2Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted - smallModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsRestricted - smallModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesPervasive - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.5 - Viral/prion-induced diseasesPervasive - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionLarge - smallUnknownHigh - moderate
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste waterRestricted - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.1.2 - Run-offRestricted - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsRestricted - smallUnknownHigh - moderate
9.5 - Air-borne pollutantsPervasive - largeUnknownHigh - moderate
9.5.1 - Acid rainPervasive - largeUnknownHigh - moderate
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive - largeExtreme - seriousModerate - low
11.2 - DroughtsPervasive - largeExtreme - seriousModerate - low
11.3 - Temperature extremesPervasive - largeExtreme - seriousModerate - low

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Roadless Areas (2)
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Barkers Creek (addition)Nantahala National Forest975
SnowbirdNantahala National Forest8,489
References (21)
  1. Beamer, D. A., and T. Lamb. 2008. Dusky salamanders (Desmognathus, Plethodontidae) from the Coastal Plain: multiple independent lineages and their bearing on the molecular phylogeny of the genus. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 47:143-153.
  2. Blackburn, L., P. Nanjappa, and M. J. Lannoo. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Copyright, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA.
  3. Chinnadurai, S. K., D. Cooper, D. S. Dombrowski, M. F. Poore, and M. G. Levy. 2009. Experimental infection of native North Carolina salamanders with <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i>. 2009. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 45(3): 631-636.
  4. Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xvii + 429 pp.
  5. Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  7. Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
  8. Frost, D.R. 2020. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Online: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html
  9. Gray, M. J., D. L. Miller, and J. T. Hoverman. 2009. First report of <i>Ranavirus </i>Infecting Lungless Salamanders. Herpetological Review 40(3):316-319.
  10. Jones, R. L. 1986. Reproductive biology of <i>Desmognathus fuscus</i> and <i>Desmognathus santeetlah</i> in the Unicoi Mountains. Herpetologica 42:323-334.
  11. LeGrand, Harry E., Jr. Zoologist. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. Division of Parks and Recreation, Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources, Raleigh, North Carolina
  12. Milanovich, J. R., W. E. Peterman, N. P. Nibbelink, and J. C. Maerz. 2010. Projected loss of a salamander diversity hotspot as a consequence of projected global climate change. PLoS One 5, no. 8: e12189.
  13. Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
  14. Redmond, W. H., and A. F. Scott. 1996. Atlas of amphibians in Tennessee. The Center for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Miscellaneous Publication Number 12. v + 94 pp.
  15. Rothermel, B. B., E. R. Travis, D. L. Miller, R. L. Hill, J. L. McGuire, and M. J. Yabsley. 2013. High occupancy of stream salamanders despite high <i>Ranavirus </i>prevalence in a Southern Appalachians watershed. EcoHealth 10(2): 184-189.
  16. Sutton, W. B., M. J. Gray, J. T. Hoverman, R. G. Secrist, P. E. Super, R. H. Hardman, J. L. Tucker, and D. L. Miller. 2015. Trends in <i>Ranavirus </i>prevalence among plethodontid salamanders in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 2015. EcoHealth 12(2): 320-329.
  17. Tilley, S.G. 1981. A new species of Desmognathus (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae) from the southern Appalachian Mountains. Occas. Pap. Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan 695:1-23.
  18. Tilley, S. G. 1988. Hybridization between two species of <i>Desmognathus </i>(Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae) in the Great Smoky Mountains. Herpetol. Monogr. 2:27-39.
  19. Tilley, S.G. 2000. Desmognathus santeetlah. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 703:1-3.
  20. Tilley, S. Herpetologist, Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, North Hampton, MA
  21. Vazquez, V. M., B. B. Rothermel, and A. P. Pessier. 2009. Experimental infection of North American plethodontid salamanders with <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i>. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 84: 1-7.