Ocoee salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ocoee salamander |
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The Ocoee salamander (Desmognathus ocoee) is a type of salamander. It belongs to a family called Plethodontidae. These salamanders live in cool forests, near rivers, and around wet rocks. You can find them in the mountainous parts of the Southeastern United States. A scientist named J. C. Nicholls first described this salamander in 1949.
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Where the Ocoee Salamander Lives
The Ocoee salamander lives in two main areas. Most of them are found in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They also live in the deep valleys (called gorges) of rivers like the Hiwassee, Ocoee, Tugaloo, and Tallulah.
A smaller group lives in the Appalachian Plateau in northeastern Alabama. These salamanders can live at many different heights, from low valleys to high up in the mountains. When they are in lower areas, they often stay in water. But higher up, they spend more time on land.
You can usually find them near fast-moving mountain streams. They also like wet spots where water seeps out of the ground. They live on moist forest floors and on wet rocks. In some valleys in the Appalachian Mountains, they prefer forests with old hardwood trees.
Life of an Ocoee Salamander
What They Eat and How They Defend Themselves
When on land, an Ocoee salamander usually has a small area it calls its own. It will defend this space from other salamanders of its kind. These salamanders eat insects and other small creatures without backbones, like worms.
Birds and snakes sometimes hunt Ocoee salamanders. If a predator comes near, the salamander might stay very still. Or it might quickly run away. It can also drop its tail if it's caught. This is called autotomy, and it helps the salamander escape. If a snake attacks, the salamander might twist and turn. It might even bite the snake on the head!
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Ocoee salamanders usually have their babies in the summer. The female lays about fifteen eggs. She hides them in a damp crack, under a rock, or inside a rotting log. She might also lay them among wet moss or fallen leaves.
The mother salamander stays with her eggs for one or two months. After the eggs hatch, the tiny baby salamanders, called larvae, move to a stream. They might also go to a wet area where water flows over rocks. They eat small water bugs. The next spring or summer, they change into adult salamanders. This change is called metamorphosis. In the winter, adult and young salamanders might hide underground to stay safe.
Is the Ocoee Salamander Safe?
The Ocoee salamander is one of the most common salamanders in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Scientists believe there are many of them, and their numbers are stable. A lot of the places where they live are protected areas, like state parks.
They don't face many big dangers. Because of this, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species says they are of "Least Concern". This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
