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Desmognathus monticola

Dunn, 1916

Northern Seal Salamander

G5Secure Found in 109 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola). Photo by srhaney, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
srhaney, CC BY-NC 4.0
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola). Photo by srhaney, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
srhaney, CC BY-NC 4.0
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola). Photo by Alina Martin, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Alina Martin, CC BY 4.0
Seal Salamander (Desmognathus monticola). Photo by Connor Gordon, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Connor Gordon, CC BY-NC 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1363910
Element CodeAAAAD03420
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusDesmognathus
Other Common Names
Seal Salamander (EN)
Concept Reference
Pyron, R.A., K. A. O’Connell, S. C. Duncan, F. T. Burbrink, and D. A. Beamer. 2023. Speciation hypotheses from phylogeographic delimitation yield an integrative taxonomy for seal salamanders (Desmognathus monticola). Systematic Biology 72(1): 179–197. doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syac065
Taxonomic Comments
Pyron et al. (2023) described the southern D. monticola lineages A/C as a new species, D. cheaha. Beamer and Lamb (2020), in their discussion of Desmognathus mtDNA phylogenetics, discussed phylogeographic structure.

Two subspecies, monticola and jeffersoni, have been recognized by some authors, however recent major accounts of the species and subspecies of North American amphibians and reptiles (e.g. Crother 2017, Nicholson 2025) regarded D. monticola as having no valid subspecies.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-06-29
Change Date2001-10-17
Edition Date2025-06-29
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2002); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
This species is widespread and abundant in the eastern U.S. The population has not suffered any large, historical rangewide declines and appears relatively stable.
Range Extent Comments
This species is endemic to the eastern United States. It is found from southwestern Pennsylvania southwest in uplands through West Virginia, western Maryland, western and northern Virginia, eastern Kentucky, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, western South Carolina, and northern Georgia to the vicinity of Chattahoochee National Forest (Conant and Collins 1991, Petranka 1998, Regester et al. 2020, Pyron et al. 2023). Evidently does not occur north or west of the Ohio River in the northern part of the range. Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records from 2005-2025 from within the range prescribed by Pyron et al. (2023), range extent is estimated to be 229,276 km² (RARECAT 2025).

Formerly considered present in Alabama and northwest Florida; these populations are now considered a new species: D. cheaha (Pyron et al. 2023).
Occurrences Comments
Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout the range, based on available detailed distribution maps (e.g., Mount 1975, Green and Pauley 1987, Redmond and Scott 1996, Hulse et al. 2001, Regester et al. 2020, Pyron et al. 2023).
Threat Impact Comments
This species is primarily threatened by clearcutting of mature hardwood stands along riparian corridors, which can reduce abundance for several decades (Regester et al. 2020). It is not considered highly susceptible to climate change nor disease impacting other amphibian species in the range (Regester et al. 2020).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Mountain streams, small rocky spring-fed brooks in hardwood- shaded ravines, seepeages, muddy section of streams. Hides under rocks or moss, and in burrows in mud banks. Sometimes perches on wet rocks. Eggs are laid on undersides of rocks or leaves in water or seepages; also under or in logs near water.

Reproduction

Females with 15-40 eggs have been seen June-October. Oviposition probably is concentrated in July in western North Carolina (Bruce and Hairston 1990). Eggs hatch late summer to early fall. Larval period varies in length, includes aquatic phase. In western North Carolina, larval period lasts 9-10 months, August-September to May-June; sexually mature usually not sooner than 2 years after metamorphosis; male require 4-5 years to attain sexual maturity, females first oviposit at 5-7 years (Bruce 1989; Castanet et al. 1996, Herpetologica 52:160-171; Bruce et al. 2002). See Bruce and Hairston (1990) for further information on life history of North Carolina populations.
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
MarylandS4Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS3Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource useRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.3.4 - Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]Restricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (109)
Georgia (12)
AreaForestAcres
Ben GapChattahoochee National Forest1,292
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Cedar MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,083
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Indian Grave GapChattahoochee National Forest1,020
Joe GapChattahoochee National Forest5,321
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Tate BranchChattahoochee National Forest1,069
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (25)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Barkers Creek (addition)Nantahala National Forest975
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Big Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest1,155
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Little Indian (addition)Nantahala National Forest640
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Yellowhammer Branch (add.)Nantahala National Forest1,255
South Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Ellicott Rock 1Sumter National Forest301
Ellicott Rock 2Sumter National Forest517
Tennessee (12)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Beaver Dam CreekCherokee National Forest5,070
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
London Bridge BranchCherokee National Forest3,387
Rogers RidgeCherokee National Forest4,738
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Virginia (37)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Brushy MountainJefferson National Forest4,168
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Horse HeavenJefferson National Forest4,748
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Laurel ForkGeorge Washington National Forest9,967
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
Little Wilson Creek Addition BJefferson National Forest1,725
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Mountain Lake Addition AJefferson National Forest1,469
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
Mountain Lake Addition CJefferson National Forest494
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North Fork PoundJefferson National Forest4,757
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Rogers RunJefferson National Forest181
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
West Virginia (19)
AreaForestAcres
Cheat MountainMonongahela National Forest8,191
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry ForkMonongahela National Forest657
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
East Fork Of GreenbrierMonongahela National Forest7,167
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Mottesheard (WV)Jefferson National Forest3,964
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
Turkey MountainMonongahela National Forest6,421
References (24)
  1. Barbour, R. W. 1971. Amphibians and reptiles of Kentucky. Univ. Press of Kentucky, Lexington. x + 334 pp.
  2. Beamer, D. A., and T. Lamb. 2020. Towards rectifying limitations on species delineation in dusky salamanders (<i>Desmognathus</i>: Plethodontidae): An ecoregion-drainage sampling grid reveals additional cryptic clades. Zootaxa 4734: 1-61.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Bruce, R. C. 1989. Life history of the salamander <i>Desmognathus monticola</i>, with a comparison of the larval periods of <i>D. </i><i>monticola</i> and <i>D. ochrophaeus</i>. Herpetologica 45:144-155.
  6. Bruce, R. C., and N. G. Hairston, Sr. 1990. Life-history correlates of body-size differences between two populations of the salamander, DESMOGNATHUS MONTICOLA. J. Herpetol. 24:124-134.
  7. Bruce, R. C., J. Castanet, and H. Francillon-Viellot. 2002. Skeletochronological analysis of variation in age structure, body size, and life history in three species of desmognathine salamanders. Herpetologica 58:181-193.
  8. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  9. 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.
  10. 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]
  11. Folkerts, G. W. 1968. The genus <i>Desmognathus</i> Baird (Amphibia: Plethodontidae) in Alabama. Ph.D. diss., Auburn Univ., Auburn, Alabama. 129 pp.
  12. 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.
  13. 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
  14. Frost, D. R. 2024. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.2 (2024). Electronic Database accessible at https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/index.php. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. doi.org/10.5531/db.vz.0001
  15. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  16. Green, N. B., and T. K. Pauley. 1987. Amphibians and reptiles in West Virginia. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. xi + 241 pp.
  17. Hairston, N. G., Sr., and R. H. Wiley. 1993. No decline in salamander (Amphibia: Caudata) populations: a twenty-year study in the southern Appalachians. Brimleyana 18:59-64.
  18. Hulse, A. C., C. J. McCoy, and E. Censky. 2001. Amphibians and reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press, Ithaca. 419 pp.
  19. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
  20. Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  21. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  22. Pyron, R.A., K. A. O’Connell, S. C. Duncan, F. T. Burbrink, and D. A. Beamer. 2023. Speciation hypotheses from phylogeographic delimitation yield an integrative taxonomy for seal salamanders (<em>Desmognathus monticola</em>). <em>Systematic Biology</em> 72(1): 179–197. doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syac065
  23. 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.
  24. Regester, K. J., C. G. Hoffman, E. R. Patterson, and P. C. Timashenka. 2020. <i>Desmognathus monticola</i> Dunn. Seal Salamander. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 925:1-60.