Gyrinophilus palleucus?

Trying to identify this salamander I captured today. Was doing some landscaping, removing some weeds and sod, and this guy gets uprooted along with everything else. He didn't fight hard, or really try to get away. Initially I was thinking newt, but assuming I recognize the costal ridges (by descriptive means), I finally started checking him against sals.

The physical characteristics seemed really close to the spring salamander, but there's that definitive eye-to-nostril line that this guy is lacking. Looking at the huge species list, I just happened to notice the next one up, the Tennessee Cave Salamander (palleucus).. which caught my attention, being as I'm in Tennessee. The few pictures available match up pretty close, but thought I'd ask around for opinions.

He was found obviously burrowed, so I took along some of the soil he was in. He seems to prefer burrowing over swimming given the opportunity (given, it was the bathroom sink).

Need to know any particulars on whatever this is; habitat, feeding, special care. May re-release if it's too much.


http://sompeople.com/pers/sal/sal1.jpg

http://sompeople.com/pers/sal/sal2.jpg

Phil

(Message edited by philv on April 29, 2007)

I would say either a Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum) or a Smallmouth salamander Ambystoma texanum. More likely a mole salamander but I could be wrong, let some others have a say.

As for keeping it you could probably keep it in a smaller scale tiger salamander setup as seen here: http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml, you should probably let it go though.

Hope this helps!

Definitely an ambystomatid.

Definitely smallmouth salamander, A. texanum. See:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ambystomatidae.htm

and

http://www.amphibiainfo.com/gallery/caudata/ambystomatidae/ambystoma/texanum/

Nice animal, but like most Ambystomids, not much to watch because of its underground tendencies. I had some a few years ago. Voracious eaters as I recall. Will grab onto an earthworm and shake the heck out of it. Easy to keep on damp papertowelling in a shoebox, but outside of feeding time, not much to watch...Good luck!

yep, smallmouth looks like a winner.

I think I might try a basic enclosure paper towel enclosure and attempt a feeding soon. If I can't get him comfortable and eating I'll release him in the area he was captured.

I could see then moving to a glass enclosure with lots of viewable burrowing.