Plethodon glutinosus
Encyclopedia
The Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus) is a species
of terrestrial
plethodontid
salamander
found through much of the eastern two thirds of the United States
, from New York
, west to Illinois
, south to Texas
, and east to Florida
, with an isolated population in southern New Hampshire
. It is called slimy because it is capable of excreting a sticky glue-like substance from its skin. It is also sometimes referred to as the Blue-spotted Salamander, Viscid Salamander, Grey-spotted Salamander, or Sticky Salamander depending on which source is consulted. Due to its large geographic range, some taxonomic
researchers have suggested splitting Plethodon glutinosus into several distinct species, but this is not widely accepted.
The Slimy Salamander is typically an overall black in color, with numerous silvery spots or gold spots across its back. They are usually 12-17 cm (4¾-6¾ inches) in length, but can grow to 20.6 cm (8⅛ inches). Males are not easily distinguished from females, though females tend to be slightly larger. They have 15-17 costal groove
s.
is in moist soil or leaf litter beneath stones, rotting logs or other debris near a permanent water source. They will sometimes make use of other animal's burrows. Their diet
consists primarily of ant
s, beetle
s, sow bugs, and earthworms, but they will consume most kinds of insect
.
in a moist area, which she will guard over, often neglecting food for the period until they hatch. Hatchlings emerge from the eggs in approximately 3 months, having no aquatic stage, like many other salamander species. They instead develop straight into their entirely terrestrial adult form. Maturity is not reached for 2–3 years.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of terrestrial
Terrestrial animal
Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land , as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water , or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats...
plethodontid
Lungless salamander
The Plethodontidae, or Lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. Most species are native to the western hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea...
salamander
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...
found through much of the eastern two thirds of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, west to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, south to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and east to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, with an isolated population in southern New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. It is called slimy because it is capable of excreting a sticky glue-like substance from its skin. It is also sometimes referred to as the Blue-spotted Salamander, Viscid Salamander, Grey-spotted Salamander, or Sticky Salamander depending on which source is consulted. Due to its large geographic range, some taxonomic
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
researchers have suggested splitting Plethodon glutinosus into several distinct species, but this is not widely accepted.
Description
Costal groove
The Costal groove is a groove between the ridge of the internal surface of the rib and the inferior border. It contains the intercostal vessels and intercostal nerve....
s.
Behavior
All Plethodonid salamanders are territorial, and will fight aggressively for territory. Their preferred habitatHabitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
is in moist soil or leaf litter beneath stones, rotting logs or other debris near a permanent water source. They will sometimes make use of other animal's burrows. Their diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
consists primarily of ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s, sow bugs, and earthworms, but they will consume most kinds of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
.
Reproduction
Breeding takes place in the spring, and courtship consists of the males performing a sort of dance to attract the female's attention. Females lay clutches of 4 to 12 eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
in a moist area, which she will guard over, often neglecting food for the period until they hatch. Hatchlings emerge from the eggs in approximately 3 months, having no aquatic stage, like many other salamander species. They instead develop straight into their entirely terrestrial adult form. Maturity is not reached for 2–3 years.