Junaluska Salamander
| Junaluska Salamander | |
|---|---|
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Genus: | Eurycea |
| Species: | E. junaluska |
| Binomial name | |
| Eurycea junaluska Sever, Dundee & Sullivan, 1976 |
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The Junaluska Salamander (Eurycea junaluska) was first described by David M. Sever who found the species in the range from the Cheoah River, Santeetlah Creek, and Tululah Creek in Graham County of North Carolina. Adults of this species can be found near large rocky streams and also on rainy nights on roads in the areas specified. The salamander is characterized by brownish-yellow coloration with a series of small dots along the body and a robust build compared to the other salamanders characterized as Eurycea.[1] The Junaluska salamander’s breeding habits tend to be in large streams where the eggs are laid and attached to the bottom of rocks in the streams they are found in. According to the overall conservation listing for IUCN, this species is listed as Vulnerable.[2] Conservation acts are important in both North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee since the population of this species of salamander in each state is so small.
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[edit] Diagnosis
Eurycea junaluska has a brownish dorsum with small dots or wavy lines along the body.[3] An easy way of distinguishing E. junaluska from E. bislineata is that the E. junaluska has a more robust body, longer forelimbs and a shorter tail. Also, Sever and his colleagues studied the teeth series and discovered the E. junaluska possesses a longer prevomerine teeth series. In addition to these traits, there is a wavy, broken, black stripe up to 0.80 mm wide extending from the nostril through the eye and also through the sides of the body and tail.[4] The front limbs contain four toes and the back limbs contain five toes. There are nasolabial grooves present and the number of coastal grooves usually range from 13-15.[5]
[edit] General Description and Taxonomy
Eurycea junaluska fits in the genus Eurycea and the family Plethodontidae. The Order is Caudata, class is Amphibia, phylum is Chordata, and Kingdom is Animalia. There are no available phylogenetic trees for this species to date.[6] The name ‘Junaluska’ was chosen to honor a Cherokee chief who was prominent in North Carolina’s history named Junaluska.[7] The area that Chief Junaluska was given is a good amount of the range of where the species exist in North Carolina, which is the reasoning for the naming of the salamander.
[edit] Fossil Record
There is no fossil record found in literature to date.
[edit] Geographic Distribution
Junaluska salamanders have only been found in the Blue Ridge mountain area in the Cheoah River, Santeetlah Creek, and Tululah Creek in Graham County of North Carolina. They are also found in a limited amount of creeks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevier County, Tennessee.[8] These salamanders are very rarely encountered in either area. One looking for this species is more likely to find E. junaluska in larger rocky streams in colder weather.[9] Another popular way of spotting this species is late night driving along roads on rainy nights. It is said that this movement could be between the terrestrial habitat they inhabit and the areas that they need to breed.[10]
[edit] Ecology
Larvae are not numerous in larger streams possibly due to the fact of large abundance of trout and predation by trout and other species of fish can affect the population size of Eurycea junaluska. Competition with other salamanders can be a factor as well.[11] In regards to food, the junaluska salamander is thought to feed on smaller invertebrates that are found in the stream and forest areas that they inhabit.[12] Currently, to date, interactions with other species are not well studied for this species.
[edit] Life History
The larval life history of Eurycea junaluska is still not very well known. Studies have found that the breeding season is spread from fall to early spring. It is said that the larval period lasts around 2–3 years and metamorphosis occurs during the summer months. Eggs are laid in the streams and are attached under medium to large rocks. The depth of the eggs laid range from 6–20 cm. The adult salamanders stay around where the eggs are laid in order to protect the egg clutch. The researchers found the egg clutch ranged from approximately 30-50 eggs.[13] The larvae are completely aquatic until they metamorphose into the adult. The larvae can easily be distinguished as other Eurycea species so it is important to distinguish them correctly.[14] A successful method of discovering the larvae is by using leaf mats placed in the streams underneath or near rocks. This allowed surveyors to receive data on the egg clutches and adult salamanders.[15]
[edit] Conservation
According to the IUCN, the species is declared vulnerable overall. The main conservation threat to the junaluska salamanders is human disturbance such as logging, road construction, and development in urban areas. These disturbances affect the water quality and therefore affecting the small populations of this rare species. The disruption of the breeding sites of the junaluska can interrupt the breeding time between fall and early spring that could be detrimental to the larval population.[16] For the two states of North Carolina and Tennessee, they each have different listings for this species in respect to the conservation concerns for the species. In the state of North Carolina, Eurycea junaluska is said to be state threatened and a federal species of special concern.[17] In the state of Tennessee, the species is listed as imperiled and deemed in need of management. Conservation efforts are important for this species since it is an endemic in the United States, particularly in North Carolina and Tennessee. Also it is important to conserve them since the population is said to be less than 1,000 individuals overall.[18]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Sever 1976
- ^ Hammerson 2004
- ^ Sever 1976
- ^ Sever 1976
- ^ Niemiller and Reynolds 2011
- ^ Hammerson 2004
- ^ Sever 1976
- ^ Ryan 1998
- ^ Willson 2011
- ^ Hammerson 2004
- ^ Sever 1983
- ^ Willson 2011
- ^ Bruce 1982
- ^ Willson 2011
- ^ Niemiller and Reynolds 2011
- ^ Hammerson 2004
- ^ Willson 2011
- ^ Niemiller and Reynolds 2011
[edit] References
- Bruce, Richard C. 1982. Egg-Laying, Larval Periods and Metamorphosis. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists 4:755-762.
- Hammerson, G. & Ryan, T. 2004. Eurycea junaluska. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 July 2007.
- Niemiller, ML and RG Reynolds. 2011. The Amphibians of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN.
- Ryan, Travis J. 1998. Larval Life History and Abundance of a Rare Salamander, Eurycea Junaluska. Copeia 32:10-17.
- Ryan, Travis J. 1997. Larva of Eurycea junaluska (Amphibia:Caudata: Plethodontidae), with comments on Distribution. Copeia 1:210-215.
- Sever, David M. 1976. A New Eurycea (Amphibia: Plethodontidae) from Southwestern North Carolina. Herpetologica 32:26-29.
- Sever, David M. 1983. Observations on the Distribution and Reproduction of the Salamander Eurycea Junaluska in Tennessee. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 58:48-50.
- Willson, J. 1999. Junaluska Salamander. Salamanders of North Carolina. Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina.
