Webster's salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Webster's salamander |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Plethodon
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| Species: |
websteri
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The Webster's salamander (Plethodon websteri) is a type of salamander found in the family Plethodontidae. It lives only in the southeastern United States. You can find it in small, separate groups from South Carolina all the way to Louisiana. These salamanders like to live in mixed temperate forests, especially near rocky streams and rock formations.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Webster's salamander is a "cryptic species." This means it looks very much like several other Plethodon salamanders in the eastern U.S. It's hard to tell them apart just by looking! These include the red-backed salamanders (P. cinereus, P. serratus) and zigzag salamanders (P. angusticlavius, P. dorsalis, P. ventralis).
Like these other species, Webster's salamander is a small salamander. It has many different color patterns on a dark brown body. Its back often has a red, orange, or yellow stripe. This stripe might have wavy edges, or it might not be there at all. If there is a stripe, it's usually brighter on the tail than on the main body. The sides and belly are speckled with white, red, and black spots. Scientists usually tell Webster's salamander apart by looking at its DNA and where it lives. Its home range usually doesn't overlap with similar species.
Sometimes, the Webster's salamander lives in the same area as the southern zigzag salamander (P. ventralis). This happens in northern Alabama. Even though they live together, they never mate and have babies. Webster's salamanders in this area usually have a stripe. Southern zigzag salamanders usually do not. There are also small differences in their head shapes.
How Scientists Study Them
P. websteri was first identified as a separate species in 1979. Scientists used genetic information to tell it apart from P. ventralis. This was one of the first times a "cryptic species" was found mainly by looking at its DNA. At first, scientists thought it was closely related to zigzag salamanders. But later studies showed it's not. Some even think it's closer to slimy salamanders.
There are different groups of Webster's salamanders that are genetically distinct. Scientists think they split into two main groups about 5.3 million years ago. One group lives in most of Alabama and eastern Mississippi. The other group has three smaller populations. These are in western Mississippi and Louisiana, east-central Alabama, and Georgia and South Carolina. These groups might have become different because rivers changed over time. Rivers could have covered or uncovered rocky areas. Salamanders need these rocky spots for shelter in the summer. Even though these two main groups live in some of the same areas, they are genetically different. They might even be two separate species.
Life Cycle and Behavior
Webster's salamanders look for food on the forest floor from late October to early May. They are most active and easiest to find in the winter. You can often find them hiding under logs, even on dry winter days. But you won't see them at all during the summer, no matter the weather. Young salamanders stay out a little longer than adults. But even they disappear by June.
The breeding season for Webster's salamanders is likely from January to March. Like other Plethodon species, they are "direct developers." This means their eggs hatch into small salamanders that look like tiny adults. They don't have a larval stage that lives in water. Females lay 3 to 8 eggs, usually 5 or 6. This is a very small number of eggs for a salamander. It's probably because they are so small as adults. The eggs are likely laid during the summer and hatch soon after. Most of their growth happens during the active months (October to May). They are ready to have their own babies when they are about 2 years old.
During the hot summer, these salamanders usually hide underground. As the weather gets warmer, they travel on humid nights. They go towards rock outcrops and cracks in the ground. These places let them get to cooler, wetter spots underground. These cool areas are like safe dens for females laying eggs and for newly hatched babies. They are also good for other salamanders seeking shelter. Deep natural hiding spots are very important for this species. Webster's salamanders live in the southernmost parts of the Plethodon genus. They probably can't dig very well because they are small and delicate.
Small Webster's salamanders mostly eat tiny mites and springtails. Larger ones eat bigger prey like ants. They also eat many termites when they can find them. This diet is similar to that of southern red-backed salamanders of the same size.
How We Protect Them
The Webster's salamander is currently listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN. This means it's not in immediate danger of disappearing. This is because it lives in a wide area and probably has a large population. However, it is still at risk from habitat loss. Its populations are also spread out and separate.
NatureServe lists the species as "vulnerable" (G3) across the country. In different states, it's listed as vulnerable (S3) in Alabama. It's "imperiled" (S2) in Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. It's "critically imperiled" (S1) in Louisiana. The biggest threat to these salamanders is deforestation. This is when their natural mixed forest homes are cut down. Then, they are replaced with pine tree farms that only have one type of tree. Even though its numbers might be going down in Alabama, it can handle some changes to its habitat. It has been found living in forests that have grown back after being cut down.
