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Home/Species/ Wehrle's Salamander

Plethodon wehrlei

Fowler and Dunn, 1917

Wehrle's Salamander

G4Apparently Secure Found in 18 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1115240
Element CodeAAAAD12580
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusPlethodon
Other Common Names
Wehrle's salamander (EN)
Concept Reference
Felix, Z. I., J. A. Wooten, T. W. Pierson, and C. D. Camp. 2019. Re-evaluation of the Wehrle’s salamander (Plethodon wehrlei Fowler and Dunn) species group (Caudata: Plethodontidae) using genomic data, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 4609(3):429-448.
Taxonomic Comments
Plethodon dixi removed from synonymy by Kuchta et al. (2018) based on phenotypic and genetic distinctiveness. Felix et al. (2019) resurrect the synonymized name P. jacksoni and describe a yellow-spotted form, Plethodon pauleyi.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Biotics v1
Review Date2004-08-23
Change Date2003-10-03
Edition Date2004-08-23
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Locally common in range extending from southern New York to northern North Carolina; not known to be declining or experiencing pervasive threats; yellow-spotted populations warrant phylogeographic investigation and high priority for protection.
Range Extent Comments
Appalachian Plateau, southwestern New York to northeastern Tennessee and northwestern North Carolina and west to southeastern Ohio (Petranka 1998). Elevational range mainly 200-1000 m (based on occurrence data through 2004).
Occurrences Comments
Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout most of the range. Hulse et al. (2001) mapped several dozen collection sites in Pennsylvania.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Upland forests and woodlands (e.g., red spruce-yellow birch, mixed deciduous). Found in rock crevices, under rocks, logs, and leaves, and in twilight zone of caves (at lower elevations). Eggs are laid in damp logs, moss, cave crevices, and other protected sites.

Reproduction

Eggs laid March-April in New York, January-March in Pennsylvania; courtship in fall. In West Virginia, courtship March-April, oviposition prior to May. Sexually mature in 4-5 years.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
MarylandS2Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
TennesseeS1Yes
New YorkS3Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
OhioSHYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource use——High (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (18)
Pennsylvania (3)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
Minister ValleyAllegheny National Forest1,417
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Dolly AnnGeorge Washington National Forest7,855
Laurel ForkGeorge Washington National Forest9,967
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
West Virginia (11)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cheat MountainMonongahela National Forest8,191
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Laurel ForkMonongahela National Forest1,172
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
References (6)
  1. 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.
  2. 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]
  3. Felix, Z. I., J. A. Wooten, T. W. Pierson, and C. D. Camp. 2019. Re-evaluation of the Wehrle’s salamander (<i>Plethodon wehrlei</i> Fowler and Dunn) species group (Caudata: Plethodontidae) using genomic data, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 4609(3):429-448.
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. Kuchta, S. R., A. D. Brown, and R. Highton. 2018. Disintegrating over space and time: paraphyly and species delimitation in the Wehrle's Salamander complex. Zoologica Scripta 47(3): 285-299.