Plethodon ouchitae photo

[caudatious]

Another interesting species we found. Typically flat heads with white throats. We saw dozens of them on a north facing hillside.

Caudatious.

 

[t_summ]

Great pic! Can you give us a locality?

 

[rust]

I'm not so sure that's a P.ouchitae, they usually show at least some form of their distinctive dorsal pattern. I've seen a thousand, literally, and they all showed some dorsal mottling (chestnut) to some extent. Are you sure it's not a glute, they're conspecific at quite a few locales. I've seen classic examples that the throat didn't really stand out as differential.

 

[caudatious]

P. ouachitae is quite variable, with distinct dorsal coloration/pattern differences contingent upon where they were found. There are 3 distinct color forms known for this species -
1. Rich Mtn - dorsum covered with small white spots and varying degrees of brassy frosting or flecking and chestnut pigmentation
2. Winding Stair Mtn (and Buffalo Mtn) - dorsum covered with small white spots, some brassy flecking and, rarely, some chestnut pigmentation (especially on the eastern end of Winding Stair mountain)
3. Kiamichi Mtn. - dorsum black with numerous white spots or flecks and no brassy flecks or chestnut pigmentation.

P. ouachitae - has a white throat and flat head; whereas P. albagula (the western slimy, not P. glutinosus) has a black or dark throat, occasionally with white spots.

Seems you've found all 1000 of your P. ouchitae at only one locality:crazy:

Peace out.

Caudatious!

 

[craig]

The salamander pictured looks like it has chiggers which probably means that it is P. ouachitae.

 

[rust]

Yep, Rich Mt. proper. I knew they were variable, just never saw one that clean.

 

[caudatious]

The photo depicts a juvenile that is approximately 2.5" total length. Sometimes the juveniles do not exhibit a very strong pattern and moreover do not always show the chestnut infusion at that size.

Not knowing it's size is probably what threw you.

Caudatious

 

[John]

I want to put on the record that I am not happy about the location naming that's gone on here but, unlike most cases, since the names of the mountains in this area are so well distributed, as have been maps of where to find individual specimen types, it's probably not very damaging since the damage has already been done...