Species
Seal salamander
Desmognathus monticola
A stout, grey-brown salamander of mountain streams, named for its sleek, seal-like look in the water.
Photo Shelby Lyn Sanders (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- Usually 8 to 15 cm long
- Habitat
- Rocky mountain streams and their banks
- Diet
- Insects, worms and smaller salamanders
- In Georgia
- The mountains of north Georgia
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Stout, grey to brown with a dark net-like pattern on the back; pale belly; tail with a sharp top edge
- Told apart from
- Southern blackbelly salamander, which is larger with a black belly
- Where to look
- Under rocks at the edges of streams
Behaviour
It sits in burrows along the stream bank with its head out, darting out to catch prey.
Why they matter
It is a common predator of mountain streams and helps show how clean they are.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Attached under rocks near water, guarded by the female
Hatching — In two to three months
Larvae — Aquatic for about a year
Maturity — At a few years
Lifespan — Over 10 years
Breathing — Through the skin; no lungs
Living around people
- Leave stream rocks where they are.
Misconceptions
- Salamanders are all slow. Seal salamanders dart out quickly after prey.
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 10 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.
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