Question

[IanF]

Quick question, a Friend and I went out walking in the Smoky Mountain area and mangaged to find a small group of red-cheeked salamanders. I'm not much of a feild herper so can anyone tell me if these are common in that area?

 

[Andy Avram]

What you found are either Jordan's Salamander (Plethodon jordani), although some people refer to them as Red-cheeked Salamander, and the other potential would be the Imitator Salamander (Desmognathus imitator). The Imitator is a type of dusky salamander that can look almost identical to the Jordan's or look just like another species of Dusky (sometimes it takes DNA analyasis to tell them apart). Either way both are very common in the Great Smoky Mountains and you would have to familiarize yourself the differences between the Plethodons and Desmongathus to figure out what you saw.

Do you have pictures?

Andy

 

[IanF]

Yes, I had read some books about them before going out and I'm definite it was a Jordan's Salamander, I didn't get any photos as it was relatively dark. Anyway thank you for the information.

 

[shanerules]

sounds like a jordans or an appalacian woodland salamander.