Peaks Of Otter Salamander
Encyclopedia
The Peaks of Otter salamander (Plethodon hubrichti) is a species of salamander
in the Plethodontidae family. It is endemic not only to the United States
, but to the Peaks of Otter
in Virginia. Its natural habitat
is mixed hardwood forest
s with deep, rich soil and thick canopy cover, but it can also be found in rhododendron thickets, mixed pine and hardwood forests, and wooded talus slopes. The species is threatened due to timber harvesting in the Jefferson National Forest and the adjoining private property where it lives in and around Bedford County. The Blue Ridge mountains in the southeastern United States contain the greatest salamander biodiversity in the world. Peaks of Otter salamanders are dark brown to black with greenish or bronze flecking on the back. Some individuals sport white spots along the sides. They were first described in 1957.
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
in the Plethodontidae family. It is endemic not only to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but to the Peaks of Otter
Peaks of Otter
The Peaks of Otter are three mountain peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains, overlooking the town of Bedford, Virginia, nine miles to the southeast along State Route 43. These peaks are...
in Virginia. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
is mixed hardwood forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s with deep, rich soil and thick canopy cover, but it can also be found in rhododendron thickets, mixed pine and hardwood forests, and wooded talus slopes. The species is threatened due to timber harvesting in the Jefferson National Forest and the adjoining private property where it lives in and around Bedford County. The Blue Ridge mountains in the southeastern United States contain the greatest salamander biodiversity in the world. Peaks of Otter salamanders are dark brown to black with greenish or bronze flecking on the back. Some individuals sport white spots along the sides. They were first described in 1957.
Source
- Hammerson, G. & Mitchell, J. 2004. Plethodon hubrichti. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 July 2007.