Species
Chattooga dusky salamander
Desmognathus perlapsus
A small dusky salamander of streams and seeps from the north-east Georgia mountains to the Piedmont north of Atlanta.
Photo John G. Phillips (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- Usually 7 to 11 cm long
- Habitat
- Seeps, small streams and wet rock faces
- Diet
- Small invertebrates
- In Georgia
- The north-east mountains and the Piedmont north and west of Atlanta
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Variable; brown to reddish with a paler band down the back; a pale line from eye to jaw
- Told apart from
- Ocoee salamander by where it lives
- Where to look
- Under rocks and moss near seeps
Behaviour
It lives near seeps and small streams and hunts at night.
Why they matter
It is one of several dusky salamanders separated by genetic study, living in streams from the mountains to the edge of Atlanta.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Laid near water and guarded by the female
Hatching — In one to two months
Larvae — Brief aquatic stage
Maturity — At a few years
Lifespan — Several years
Breathing — Through the skin; no lungs
Living around people
- Keep seeps and small streams shaded and free of silt.
Misconceptions
- Scientists have finished sorting out salamanders. This one was recognised as a species of its own only in the 2020s.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Under rocks | Under rocks | Active | Active | Active | Laying eggs | Females guarding eggs | Guarding eggs | Larvae hatching | Active | Active | Under rocks |
Where it lives
Recorded in 3 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
If you found one
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