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Eurycea quadridigitata

(Holbrook, 1842)

Southern Dwarf Salamander

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1078938
Element CodeAAAAD05340
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusEurycea
Synonyms
Manculus quadridigitatus(Holbrook, 1842)
Other Common Names
dwarf salamander (EN) Silver-bellied Dwarf Salamander (EN)
Concept Reference
Wray, K.P., D.B. Means and S.J. Steppan. 2017. Revision of the Eurycea quadridigitata (Holbrook 1842) complex of dwarf salamanders (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Hemidactyliinae) with a description of two new species. Herpetological Monographs 31(1): 18-46.
Taxonomic Comments
Wray et al. (2017) described two new species of salamander from the Eurycea quadridigitata complex (E. hillisi and E. sphagnicola), resurrected and elevated a former subspecies to full species status (E. paludicola), added to the diagnosis of E. chamberlaini, and redefined E. quadridigitata in the context of this revision. Bonett et al. (2014 "2013") provided a molecular tree that suggests that cryptic species within Eurcyea quadridigitatus; the interpretation by Fouquette and Dubois 2014), that the same tree suggests that Eurycea chamberlaini may be conspecific with nominal Eurycea quadridigitata appears to a rest on an older species concept than applied by most workers today, especially because this tree shows some populations of Eurycea "quadridigitata" being more closely related to the Edwards Plateau species (as previously suggested by Lamb and Beamer, 2012) than to other populations outside of that inclusive clade (which are closer to Eurycea chamberlaini) (Frost 2020).

The "yellow morph" of Eurycea quadridigitata was described as a distinct species, Eurycea chamberlaini, by Harrison and Guttman (2003).
Conservation Status
Review Date2004-04-07
Change Date2001-10-18
Edition Date2011-05-04
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
Coastal Plain, North Carolina to Lake Okeechobee, Florida, west to eastern Texas; range shown in Conant and Collins (1991) has been reduced somewhat by the recognition of yellow morph populations as distinct species (Eurycea chamberlaini) (Harrison and Guttman 2003). Record from Barry County, Missouri, reported in 1945, has not been substantiated by more recent collections; Johnson (1987) did not include this species as a part of the Missouri herpetofauna.
Occurrences Comments
Many occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
In minimal need of protection, though many populations likely have been eliminated through loss of wetlands (Petranka 1998).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Low swampy areas, margins of pine savanna ponds, bottomland forests. Hides under logs or other debris during day. In Alabama, peaks in terrestrial activity coincided with late fall-early winter rains (Trauth 1983). Lays eggs in seepage areas or near the edge of shallow ponds on undersides of logs or leaves, under or on sphagnum or pine needles, or on rootlets beneath logs.

Reproduction

Lays up to about 60 eggs singly or in small clusters, late fall to early winter. Female attends eggs. Larvae hatch in 30-40 days, metamorphose in spring or early summer. Sexually mature in first year.
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlabamaS4Yes
LouisianaSUYes
FloridaS4Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
North CarolinaS1Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
Roadless Areas (3)
Florida (3)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
References (18)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  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. Bonett, R. M., M. A. Steffen, S. M. Lambert, J. J. Wiens, and P. T. Chippindale. 2014. Evolution of paedomorphosis in plethodontid salamanders: ecological correlated and re-evolution of metamorphosis. Evolution 68: 466-482.
  4. 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]
  5. Fouquette Jr., M.J., and A. DuBois. 2014. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Seventh Edition. Volume 1—Amphibians. Xlibris LLC, Bloomington, Indiana. 586 pp.
  6. 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.
  7. Frost, D. R. 2002. Amphibian Species of the World: an online reference. V2.21 (15 July 2002). Electronic database available at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html.
  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. Harrison, J. R., III, and S. I. Guttman. 2003. A new species of <i>Eurycea </i>(Caudata: Plethodontidae) from North and South Carolina. Southeastern Naturalist 2(2):159-178.
  10. Johnson, T. R. 1987. The amphibians and reptiles of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City. 368 pp.
  11. Lamb, T., and D. A. Beamer. 2012. Digits lost or gained? Evidence for pedal evolution in the dwarf salamander complex (Eurycea, Plethodontidae). PLoS ONE 7(5):e37544. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037544
  12. Martof, B. S., W. M. Palmer, J. R. Bailey, and J. R. Harrison, III. 1980. Amphibians and reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 264 pp.
  13. McMillan, M. A., and R. D. Semlitsch. 1980. Prey of the dwarf salamander, Eurycea quadridigitata, in South Carolina.J. Herpetol. 14:424-426.
  14. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
  15. Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
  16. Semlitsch, R. D., and M. A. McMillan. 1980. Breeding migrations, population size structure, and reproduction of the dwarf salamander, Eurycea quadridigitata, in South Caro-lina. Brimleyana 3:97-105.
  17. Trauth, S. E. 1983. Reproductive biology and spermathecal anatomy of the dwarf salamander (EURYCEA QUADRIDIGITATA) in Alabama. Herpetologica 39:9-15.
  18. Wray, K.P., D.B. Means and S.J. Steppan. 2017. Revision of the <i>Eurycea quadridigitata</i> (Holbrook 1842) complex of dwarf salamanders (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Hemidactyliinae) with a description of two new species. Herpetological Monographs 31(1): 18-46.