Dusky Salamander / Salamandre sombre du Nord
Desmognathus fuscus
Summary 7
Desmognathus fuscus is an amphibian in the lungless salamander family. The species is commonly called the dusky salamander or northern dusky salamander to distinguish it from populations in the southern United States which form a separate species, the southern dusky salamander (D. auriculatus). It can be found in eastern North America from extreme eastern Canada in New Brunswick south into the panhandle of Florida and west to Louisiana. The size of the species' total population is...
Range description 8
This species occurs in North America from southern New Brunswick, southeastern Quebec, and southern Ontario (Kamstra 1991) southwest to eastern Ohio, southern Illinois, Mississippi, and eastern Louisiana; disjunctive populations in northeastern Arkansas and southern Arkansas-northern Louisiana; southeast to western and central Carolinas, northern and central Georgia, and the Florida panhandle. Populations in the southern part of the range were proposed as a distinct species (D. conanti) by Titus and Larson (1996), but the proposed split is premature without further data from the contact zone (Petranka 1998).
Associations 9
Dusky salamanders are second and third order consumers that eat a wide variety of small terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. They are opportunists and will eat whatever is available in high abundance. Dusky salamanders are prey to a number of animal species representing many vertebrate (and perhaps some invertebrate) groups, including mammals, snakes, birds, and larger amphibians. Desmognathus fuscus often shares its habitat with other species of the genus Desmognathus, and other plethodontid salamanders. It appears that niche partitioning occurs, and animals of the different Desmognathus species have a broader habitat preference in areas of overlap than in areas that the species do not overlap. Other species that have been found to coexist with D. fuscus are seal salamanders (D. monticola), Allegheny Mountain dusky salamanders (D. ochrophaeus), southern dusky salamanders (D. auriculatus), and northern two-lined salamanders (Eurycea bislineata).
Barcode data: desmognathus fuscus 10
The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.
There are 16 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.
Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.
See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
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Download FASTA File
Behaviour 11
It is thought that the nasolabial groove (characteristic of members of the family Plethodontidae) aids in smelling prey items as well as potential mates. Chemical odors may be transported along the groove and into the mouth, where the vomeronasal organ can transfer the information to the salamander's brain. Also, glands (like the mental gland, located on the chin) are used to communicate with mates when courting. The male will vigorously rub his chin onto the female, as well as bite her, in order to provide her with pheromone secretions until she becomes fully receptive. If a brooding female is returning to her nest after feeding at night, she can recognize which clutch is hers by using chemical cues. Dusky salamanders may bite a threatening predator. Also, a male may attack a another male that is courting a female.
Communication Channels: tactile ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Communication and perception 12
It is thought that the groove between the nose and the lip in these salamanders helps them smell prey and potential mates. Odors may be transported along the groove and into the mouth, where the chemical is "tasted." Also, glands are used to communicate with mates when courting. The male will vigorously rub his chin on a female to expose her to his pheromones. If a brooding female is returning to her nest after feeding at night, she can recognize which clutch is hers with smells. Dusky salamanders may bite a threatening predator. Also, a male may attack a another male that is courting a female.
Communication Channels: tactile ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Conservation status 13
Dusky salamanders can be common where habitat is intact and abundant in areas such as shaded streamsides in moist woods. But they are threatened in some areas by tree removal, which exposes the area to sun, increasing the water temperature and decreasing the humidity. Pollution of waterways can also be a serious threat. The overall effects of bait collection are unknown, but this activity may certainly impact local populations, especially if collection techniques (such as rock turning) disrupt the local habitat.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Development 14
Upon hatching, dusky salamander larvae are about 1.6 cm long and have well-developed legs. The larvae may stay with their mother for several days or even weeks before going to the water. Because they are aquatic, they have gills, which are small and white. However they can survive in moist terrestrial environments for some time if required, and might even go through metamorphosis on land. After spending 7 to 11 months in the water they undergo metamorphosis (in the spring or summer after hatching). Newly transformed salamanders are 2.8 to 4.4 cm long.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/18024068@N00/2671881162
- (c) 2014 Todd Pierson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=616610&one=T
- (c) 2012 Todd Pierson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=403371&one=T
- (c) 2012 Todd Pierson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=403372&one=T
- (c) 2012 Todd Pierson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=403373&one=T
- (c) 2004 Henk Wallays, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=141575&one=T
- Adapted by Denis Doucet from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmognathus_fuscus
- Adapted by Denis Doucet from a work by (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34422154
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31390779
- Adapted by Denis Doucet from a work by (c) Barcode of Life Data Systems, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/30614225
- Adapted by Denis Doucet from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31390776
- Adapted by Denis Doucet from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/25064578
- Adapted by Denis Doucet from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31390782
- Adapted by Denis Doucet from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/25064575
