West Virginia spring salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West Virginia spring salamander |
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The West Virginia spring salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus) is a special kind of salamander that lives only in caves. It is a troglobitic salamander, which means it spends its whole life underground. This unique animal belongs to the Plethodontidae family. It is found only in West Virginia, United States.
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About the West Virginia Spring Salamander
The West Virginia spring salamander is a rare creature. It lives only in one specific place: the General Davis Cave in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. These salamanders prefer to live in cave streams where there is a lot of decaying plant and animal material. This material helps provide food and shelter for them.
Why It's Special
Most cave salamanders stay in their larval (young) form their whole lives. They keep their gills and never fully change into an adult form. However, the West Virginia spring salamander is different! Like the western grotto salamander (Eurycea spelaea), it can go through a complete metamorphosis. This means it can change from a larva with gills into an adult that breathes air.
Scientists are not sure how often this complete change happens. But when it does, the salamander larvae grow very large before they transform. This ability to change is very unusual for animals that live deep inside caves.
Where It Lives
The General Davis Cave is part of a larger area called the Davis Hollow drainage basin. This basin covers about 4.4 square miles (11.4 square kilometers). All the water in this area eventually flows into the Greenbrier River.
To protect this special salamander, and a small group of bats, the cave is closed to the public. A group called The Nature Conservancy bought a special agreement called a conservation easement for the cave. This agreement helps make sure the land and the cave are protected forever.
Why It Needs Our Help
The West Virginia spring salamander is in big trouble. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says it is critically endangered. This means it is very close to disappearing forever. As of 2021, experts believe there are fewer than 250 of these salamanders left. The United States government is also thinking about adding it to the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This law would give it even more protection.
There are several things that could harm these salamanders in the future:
- Development: Building new homes or businesses near the cave could affect the groundwater recharge area. This is where rainwater soaks into the ground and flows into the cave. If this water gets polluted or changes, it could hurt the salamanders.
- Other Salamanders: Sometimes, the West Virginia spring salamander might interact with other types of spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus). Scientists are studying if this interaction could be a problem.
- Fungus: There is a dangerous disease caused by a fungus called Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. This fungus, which comes from Europe, can kill salamanders. If it ever reaches the Americas, it could be a huge threat to the West Virginia spring salamander and many other amphibians.
Protecting the General Davis Cave and its surrounding area is very important to help these amazing salamanders survive.
