Desmognathus intermedius
(Pope, 1928)
Western Shovel-nosed Salamander
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Data deficientIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Max Ramey, CC BY-NC 4.0
Henry Seilheimer, CC BY-NC 4.0
squamatologist, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
gman122, CC BY-NC 4.0
gman122, CC BY-NC 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1286193
Element CodeAAAAD03400
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusProvisional
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNData deficient
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusDesmognathus
Concept Reference
Pyron, R. A., and D. A. Beamer. 2023. A systematic revision of the Shovel-nosed Salamander (Plethodontidae: Desmognathus marmoratus), with re-description of the related D. aureatus and D. intermedius. Zootaxa 5270(2): 262-280.
Taxonomic Comments
This taxon represents Desmognathus marmoratus C of Beamer and Lamb (2020). This lineage was previously recognized as a distinct species Leurognathus intermedia by Pope and Hairston (1947) before being demoted to a subspecies L. m. intermedia by Schmidt (1953) and informally synonymized with L. marmoratus by Martof (1962) (Pyron and Beamer 2023). D. intermedius was formally recognized by Raffaëlli (2022) with a systematic revision by Pyron and Beamer (2023). Includes D. "melianus", recognized by Raffaëlli (2013) (in error) after L. m. melania Martof, 1956 for populations from the "quad/marm" C lineage in the western Nantahala Mountains (Pyron and Beamer 2023).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-08
Change Date2024-08-08
Edition Date2024-08-08
Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent5000-20,000 square km (about 2000-8000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
This species has a limited geographic range in western North Carolina and adjacent eastern Tennessee. It is considered widespread and abundant in the range with no evidence of population declines or significant threats.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, USA. It has been confirmed in the Tennessee drainages of the Lower Little Tennessee, Upper Little Tennessee, Tuckasegee, Lower French Broad, Pigeon, and Upper French Broad Rivers. Curiously rare in or absent from the upper reaches of the Little Tennessee and Tuckasegee Rivers (Martof 1962, Martof 1963). An isolated population is known from the Black Mountains east of the French Broad River in the Upper French Broad drainage (O’Connell et al., unpubl. data) (Pyron and Beamer 2023). Using records from iNaturalist (2024) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF 2024), range extent is estimated to be 9,517 km².
Occurrences Comments
Applying a 3 km separation distance to records from iNaturalist (2024) and GBIF (2024), 48 occurrences are estimated.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known at this time. Logging activities in national forests have the potential to degrade habitat and reduce populations (Petranka et al. 1993).
Ecology & Habitat
Diagnostic Characteristics
Among shovel-nosed salamanders, Desmognathus intermedius can be diagnosed from D. aureatus by the presence of vomerine teeth in adults of both sexes, and from D. marmoratus by a more scattered and indistinct dorsal pattern in adults (after Pope 1928; Pope and Hairston 1947). These characters should be re-evaluated for diagnostic consistency (Pyron and Beamer 2023). It can also be distinguished from both D. aureatus and D. marmoratus by a longer trunk, and from D. marmoratus by a longer head (Pyron and Beamer 2023).
Habitat
This species occurs almost exclusively in the rocky riffle zones of a fast-flowing, high-gradient mountain streams or spring runs, preferring small streams (Pope and Hairston 1947, Martof 1962, Beachy and Bruce 2003, Pyron and Beamer 2023). It is found at elevations from 300-1645 m (Pope and Hairston 1947, Pyron and Beamer 2023).
Reproduction
Oviposition and transformation both occur in summer (Pyron and Beamer 2023). Larvae undergo metamorphosis after a 3-year period (Pyron and Beamer 2023). Hatchlings measure ~15 mm (Pyron and Beamer 2023).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNR
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | S4 | Yes |
| Tennessee | SNR | Yes |
Threat Assessments
| Threat | Scope | Severity | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 - Biological resource use | Pervasive - large | Unknown | High (continuing) |
| 5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting | Pervasive - large | Unknown | High (continuing) |
| 5.3.4 - Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Pervasive - large | Unknown | High (continuing) |
Roadless Areas (4)
North Carolina (3)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Cheoah Bald | Nantahala National Forest | 7,795 |
| Graveyard Ridge (addition) | Pisgah National Forest | 1,958 |
| Sam Knob (addition) | Pisgah National Forest | 2,576 |
Tennessee (1)
| Area | Forest | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Sampson Mountain Addition | Cherokee National Forest | 3,064 |
References (16)
- Beachy, C., and R. Bruce, R. 2003. Life history of a small form of the plethodontid salamander <i>Desmognathus quadramaculatus</i>. Amphibia-Reptilia 24(1):13-26.
- 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.
- Bishop, S. C. 1928. Notes on some amphibians and reptiles from the southeastern states with a description of a new salamander from North Carolina. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 43:153-170.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
- Huheey, J. E. 1966. The desmognathine salamanders of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Journal of the Ohio Herpetological Society (3): 63-72.
- iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
- Maes, D., N. J. B. Isaac, C. A. Harrower, B. Collen, A. J. van Strien, and D. B. Roy. 2015. The use of opportunistic data for IUCN Red List assessments. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 115:690-706. https://doi.org/10.1111/bij.12530
- Martof, B.S. 1962. Some aspects of the life history and ecology of the salamander <i>Leurognathus</i>. The American Midland Naturalist 67:1-35.
- Martof, B.S. 1963. <i>Leurognathus</i> and <i>L. marmoratus</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 3.1-3.2.
- Peterman, W. E., J. A. Crawford, and R. D. Semlitsch. 2008. Productivity and significance of headwater streams: population structure and biomass of the black-bellied salamander (<i>Desmognathus quadramaculatus</i>). Freshwater Biology 53: 347–357.
- Petranka, J. W., M. E. Eldridge, and K. E. Haley. 1993. Effects of timber harvesting on southern Appalachian salamanders. Conservation Biology 7(2): 363-370.
- Pope, C. H. 1928. Some Plethodontid Salamanders from North Carolina and Kentucky with the description of a new race of <i>Leurognathus</i>. American Museum Novitates 306: 1-19.
- Pope, C. H., and N. G. Hairston. 1947. The distribution of <i>Leurognathus,</i> a southern Appalachian genus of salamanders. Fieldiana 31: 155-162.
- Pyron, R. A., and D. A. Beamer. 2023. A systematic revision of the Shovel-nosed Salamander (Plethodontidae: <i>Desmognathus marmoratus</i>), with re-description of the related <i>D. aureatus</i> and <i>D. intermedius</i>. Zootaxa 5270(2): 262-280.
- Raffaëlli, J. 2013. Les Urodèles du Monde [The Urodela of the World]. Deuxième Édition. Plumelec, France: Penclen.
- Raffaëlli, J. 2022. Salamanders & newts of the world. 3rd Edition. Penclen Edition. 1100 pp.