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Description

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Desmognathus wrighti is a relatively small species of salamander that can be distinguished by a broad, reddish-brown dorsal band. This coloration can bleed down into the ventral region, although this area can also be unpigmented. The regions around the heart and eyes are usually colored by gold pigments, and the lower jaw is heavily spotted with reddish-brown to gold colors. This species ranges in length from 17-20 mm (SVL) in both males and females, and has a relatively short tail in comparison with body length. D. wrighti individuals hatch without gills. Unlike adult individuals, young D. wrighti have well-defined paravertabral spots (Harrison 2000).Etymology. Desmognathus wrighti was named in honor of George M. Wright who served as a former Chief of the Wildlife Division in the National Park Service (Harrison 2000).

References

  • Bruce, R. C. (1977). ''They pygmy salamander, Desmognathus wrighti (Amphibia, Urodela, Plethodontidae), in the Cowee Mountains, North Carolina.'' Journal of Herpetology, (11), 246-247.
  • Hairston, N. G. (1949). ''The local distribution and ecology of the plethodontid salamanders of the southern Appalachians.'' Ecological Monographs, 19(1), 497-73.
  • Harrison, J.R., III (2000). ''Desmognathus wrighti.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 704.1-704.7.
  • Huheey, J. E. (1966). ''A new salamander (Desmognathus) from the southern Appalachians.'' Herpetologica, (1), 57-60 + 1 pl.
  • Rubin, D. (1971). ''Desmognathus aeneus and D. wrighti on Wayah Bald.'' Journal of Herpetology, 5, 66-67.
  • Tilley, S. G. and Harrison, J. R. (1969). ''Notes on the distribution of the pygmy salamander king, Desmognathus wrighti.'' Herpetologica, (29), 178-180.

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Distribution and Habitat

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Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: United States Isolated populations of Desmognathus wrighti are found primarily at high elevations in the forested areas of southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee. Although this species is normally found in spruce-fir forests at elevations of 762-2082 m, small groups of D. wrighti have been documented in mesophytic hardwood forests. Huheey (1966), Tilley, Harrison (1969), Rubin (1971), and Bruce (1977) claim that the populations living east and south of the current spruce-fir forest ranges could be indicative of a former more wide-spread distribution. This species prefers spruce-fir forests, where it can find moist environments under small logs and stones. Hairston (1949) observed that 76% of the individuals he studied were located about 200 feet from a direct water source such as a stream. The ability of D. wrighti to survive in drier conditions is also demonstrated in its vertical distribution. In excessively moist conditions, this species can be found on the leaves of trees up to seven feet above the ground. At high elevations, D. wrighti usually lives under the tight-fitting bark of stumps or trees (Harrison, 2000).
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Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors

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During the fall, Desmognathus wrighti moves from forested areas to underground seepages, where it remains in hybernation throughout the winter. This species of salamander does not have an aquatic larval stage; D. wrighti is mainly a terrestrial species (see Distribution). According to Hairston (1949), D. wrighti is active during periods of complete darkness.
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Distribution

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Pygmy salamanders can be found in mountainous areas ranging from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Great Smoky Mountains in the eastern United States. They are found most frequently in southwestern Virginia to the Georgia state line in southwestern North Carolina.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Associations

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Spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus) and carabid beetles are major predators of pygmy salamander. Pygmy salamanders become immobile when threatened, becoming less appealing to predators. Pygmy salamanders are cryptically colored and tend to spend much of their time under cover to avoid detection.

Known Predators:

  • spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus)
  • carabid beetles (Carabidae)

Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic

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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Morphology

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Adult pygmy salamanders range in size from 30 to 51 mm. They can primarily be identified by their distinctive coppery red stripe that extends along the body to the rounded tail. The rounded tail is less than half of total body length. The eyelids are also a copper color, which is a trait that distinguishes pygmy salamanders from related species. At sexual maturity females tend to be larger than males.

Range length: 30 to 51 mm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger

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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Life Expectancy

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Although there is not any data on longevity of pygmy salamanders, other salamanders in the Desmognathus range in longevity from 15 to 20 years in captivity.

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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Habitat

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Pygmy salamanders are found in humid forested areas and can be found under mosses and rotten logs. Dense populations of pygmy salamanders occur most often in highly elevated spruce-fir forests, but also occur in hardwood forests in lower elevations. Elevations range from 800 m to 4500 m.

Range elevation: 800 to 4500 m.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; mountains

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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Trophic Strategy

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Pygmy salamanders primarily feed at night on small arthropods in the soil and leaf litter.

Animal Foods: insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore , Eats non-insect arthropods)

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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Associations

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Pygmy salamanders are the most terrestrial species of salamander in the genus Desmognathus. All Desmognathus salamanders have different life cycles, body sizes, and behaviors, and are considered to inhabit different niches. All Desmognathus species are affected by a common leech parasite, Oligobdella biannulata. These leeches, when latched on to the body of a salamander, transfer trypanosome protozoans called trypanosome, which infect the blood stream of the salamander host.

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

  • leech (Oligobdella biannulata)
  • trypanosomes (Trypanosoma)
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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Benefits

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Pygmy salamanders are often studied in the wild for their reproductive strategy and reproductive behavior. These salamanders are also researched from an evolutionary standpoint to understand how they live in higher elevations compared to other species of salamanders.

Positive Impacts: research and education

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Benefits

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Unlike some other species of salamanders, pygmy salamanders do not survive well in captive situations.

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de la Garza, C. 2011. "Desmognathus wrighti" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Desmognathus_wrighti.html
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Conservation Status

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Pygmy salamanders are fairly common in spruce-fir forests of the southern Appalachians. These salamander populations are well conserved in Virginia and are listed as a species of least concern.

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

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Behavior

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Adult male pygmy salamanders produce courtship pheromones only to a desired female. Courtship pheromones are produced in the mental gland of the salamander. Also used in courtship are nasolabial grooves that are located in the snout of the salamander. These nasolabial grooves contain water born chemicals that are sent through nasal passages to the sensory epithelium.

Communication Channels: tactile ; chemical

Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical

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Life Cycle

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After hatching, pygmy salamanders resemble small adults. Gills that were used during the embryonic stage of development are reabsorbed immediately prior to hatching as well as caudal fins. Pygmy salamanders, which are commonly identified by their rounded tail end, are indistinguishable from other species of salamanders in the embryonic stage due to the compressed tail in the egg.

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis

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Reproduction

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Mating occurs twice a year during the fall and spring months. Adult male pygmy salamanders produce courtship pheromones to a desired female. In order for a male to mate with a female, the male salamander must use his jaws to attach himself to a female’s tail. This ritual is primary done to restrain the female and keep her from finding another mate.

Mating System: monogamous

Male pygmy salamanders deposit a spermatophore (a gelatinous package including sperm) on the ground, after which the female will take it into her cloaca. Females typically deposit eggs in a cluster during the late summer. Ideally, females deposit their eggs close to a permanent body of water, either a lake or a stream, but at higher elevations where standing water is absent, female salamanders lay their eggs on moist ground. Females lay an average of 10 eggs. Hatching usually occurs in mid to late October. Once hatched, the young are immediately independent and reach sexual maturity at 3.5 years for females and 4.5 years for males.

Breeding interval: Breeding can occur twice yearly.

Breeding season: Pygmy salamanders breed in the late fall and late spring months.

Range number of offspring: 5 to 10.

Average time to hatching: 2 months.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 4.5 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 3.5 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous

Male pygmy salamanders do not play any role in helping with their young. However, females tend to eggs and to newly hatched salamanders.

Parental Investment: female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Male); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

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Desmognathus wrighti ( German )

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 src=
Desmognathus wrighti,
mit kupferfarbener Iris

Desmognathus wrighti ist ein in Nordamerika vorkommender Schwanzlurch aus der Familie der Lungenlosen Salamander (Plethodontidae). Der mitunter verwendete Trivialname „Zwergsalamander“ ist nicht eindeutig, da auch andere kleine Salamanderarten zuweilen mit diesem Namen bezeichnet werden. Im englischen Sprachgebrauch wird die Art pygmy salamander (Pygmäen-Salamander) genannt. Der Artname ehrt George Melendez Wright, den ehemaligen Chef der Wildlife Division im National Park Service.[1]

Merkmale

Mit einer Gesamtlänge von 30 bis 51 Millimetern zählt Desmognathus wrighti zu den sehr kleinen Salamanderarten.[2] Weibchen sind etwas größer als Männchen. Die Farbe der Oberseite variiert von Gelbbraun oder Hellbraun bis zu Rotbraun. An den Seiten heben sich schwarzbraune Markierungen ab. Auffällig ist eine rostbraune, fischgrätenartige Rückenlinie. Ein Backenfleck ist ockerfarben. Der abgerundete Schwanz macht weniger als die Hälfte der gesamten Körperlänge aus. Von der weißlichen Bauchseite heben sich kleine dunkle Flecke ab. Die Iris ist kupferfarben.

Ähnliche Arten

Verwandten Salamanderarten fehlen der deutliche fischgrätenartige Rückenstreifen sowie die kupferfarbene Iris.

Verbreitung und Lebensraum

Das Verbreitungsgebiet von Desmognathus wrighti erstreckt sich von den Blue Ridge Mountains bis zu den Great Smoky Mountains im Osten der USA. Die Salamander besiedeln bevorzugt schattige, feuchte Laub- und Fichtenwälder. Die Höhenverbreitung reicht von 800 bis auf 4500 Meter.[2] Sie benötigen eine feuchte Umgebung, da ihnen Lungen fehlen und sie durch die feuchte Haut atmen.

Lebensweise

Die auf ein feuchtes Klima angewiesenen Individuen von Desmognathus wrighti sind überwiegend nachtaktiv. Im Rahmen der Paarung deponiert das Männchen ein gallertartiges, mit Spermien versehenes Samenpaket auf dem Boden, über das das Weibchen steigt und das es mit der Kloake aufnimmt. Im Sommer legen die Weibchen ungefähr zehn Eier und platzieren diese an feuchten, mit Wasser gesättigten Stellen unter Steinen, Baumstämmen oder Moosen. Das Schlüpfen der Jungtiere, denen Kiemen fehlen, erfolgt normalerweise im Oktober. Ein aquatischer Lebensabschnitt erfolgt nicht. Nach dem Schlüpfen sind die Jungen sofort selbständig. Weibchen erreichen die Geschlechtsreife mit dreieinhalb, Männchen mit viereinhalb Jahren.[2] Abhängig von der Höhenlage, in der sie leben, halten sie eine unterschiedlich lange Winterruhe.

Nahrung und Feinde

 src=
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus,
ein Hauptfressfeind

Desmognathus wrighti ernährt sich von einer Vielzahl kleiner Gliederfüßer (Arthropoda), die hauptsächlich nachts am Boden, in der Laubstreu oder auf Pflanzen gesucht werden.[2]

Die wesentlich größere Salamanderart Gyrinophilus porphyriticus sowie Laufkäfer (Carabidae) sind die wichtigsten Fressfeinde.[2] Wenn Desmognathus wrighti-Individuen eine Bedrohung wahrnehmen, verharren sie regungslos, um nicht aufzufallen. Generell verbringen sie einen Großteil ihrer Zeit im Verborgenen, damit sie nicht entdeckt werden.

Gefährdung

Die Art ist in ihren Vorkommensgebieten in den Vereinigten Staaten nicht selten und wird demzufolge von der Weltnaturschutzorganisation IUCN als „Least Concern = nicht gefährdet“ klassifiziert.[3]

Einzelnachweise

  1. Namensherkunft
  2. a b c d e Cecilia de la Garza: Desmognathus wrighti – Pygmy Salamander, Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology, 2011, eingesehen am 3. Februar 2021
  3. Red List für Desmognathus wrighti
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Desmognathus wrighti: Brief Summary ( German )

provided by wikipedia DE
 src= Desmognathus wrighti,
mit kupferfarbener Iris

Desmognathus wrighti ist ein in Nordamerika vorkommender Schwanzlurch aus der Familie der Lungenlosen Salamander (Plethodontidae). Der mitunter verwendete Trivialname „Zwergsalamander“ ist nicht eindeutig, da auch andere kleine Salamanderarten zuweilen mit diesem Namen bezeichnet werden. Im englischen Sprachgebrauch wird die Art pygmy salamander (Pygmäen-Salamander) genannt. Der Artname ehrt George Melendez Wright, den ehemaligen Chef der Wildlife Division im National Park Service.

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Pygmy salamander

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The pygmy salamander (Desmognathus wrighti) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States in the southern Appalachians in North Carolina and Tennessee.[2] Desmognathus wrighti is a member of the family Plethodontidae and is commonly known as the pygmy salamander. As the name suggest the pygmy salamander is the smallest of the nineteen species in the genus Desmognathus. D. wrighti undergoes direct development and does not have a free-living larval stage. Only two other taxa in Desmognathus, D. aeneus and D. organi, exhibit direct development along with the pygmy salamander.[3] In the genus Desmognathus, body size, habitat preferences, and patterns used by males during courtship are quite variable. D. wrighti courtship is noted by the male biting and seizing its partner in order to provide them with a chemical stimulus.[4] The pygmy salamander can be found in the southern Appalachians of the United States in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Geographical distribution of the Desmognathus wrighti is fragmented and the highest abundance of the species can be found at high elevations in spruce and fir tree forest.[5]

Identification

Desmognathus wrighti has a light belly with a gold-colored iridophore pattern that extends from the abdomen to the anterior of the cloacal vent. The salamander has a rounder snout and the total body length ranges from 35–44 mm (1.4–1.7 in). The tail is not keeled and the body length is equal to or greater than the tail length. Pygmy salamanders are typically light brown with dark brown pigment on the dorsal side forming an inverted V-shape marking down the back This ‘V’ shape marking is a classic pigmentation marking. The salamander's color can range from brick red to yellow but usually is found as a light brown shade. The light stripe from the eye to the jaw designates the salamanders as a desmognathan. Desmognathus wrighti typically has six vomerine teeth on each side of the mouth along with premaxillary and mandible teeth.[5] The maximum size of males and females has been determined to have no real difference in the species.[3]

General description and taxonomy

Desmognathus wrighti was named and discovered by King in 1936. The pygmy salamander's natural habitat includes temperate forests, intermittent rivers, and freshwater springs.[5] This species small size places it among the smallest salamanders in the world. D. wrighti adult size is in the range of the sizes of the genus Thorius, which are neo-tropical and considered the smallest urodeles in the world.[3] The genus Desmognathus consists of nineteen species which all vary in body size, life history, and habitat. The most basic way of sorting the species in this genus is by body size and distance they are found from streams which they inhabit.[5]

In 2010, there was a taxonomic revision to Desmognathus wrighti. This revision was based on genetic and ecological analyses. This divergence has been reported by DNA sequencing, but further research shows several differences in the body type and ventral pigmentation. An ecological niche analysis was completed on two niches separated by the French Broad River and significant morphological variation was found between the two lineages. Findings show differences in snout-vent length, body condition, and head width, suggesting that there are two distinct and separately evolving lineages in Desmognathus wrighti. The diverging northern lineage, Desmognathus organi, is the new species described by Crespi and Browne in 2010. The revision to the taxonomic Desmognathus wrighti was seen needed for the northern pygmy salamander to reflect the genetic, ecological, and geographical differences in the two different populations located north and south of the French Broad River.[5] The original species Desmognathus wrighti described by King more accurately describes the lineage from the southern part of the French Broad River and the morphological descriptions described on this page. The new species Desmognathus organi, the Northern pygmy salamander, is a sister taxon to D. wrighti. Differences of D. organi from its sister taxon includes a slightly larger body length, wider heads, and the ventral gold iridophore patterns are absent. Also, D. organi is found in higher elevations north of the French Broad River including Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.[5]

Geographical distribution

Desmognathus wrighti has a very fragmented geographical distribution. The species is found in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee south of the French Broad River. In Tennessee, D. wrighti inhabits the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Blount, Cocke, and Sevier counties. The species is also found in the Cherokee National Forest in Monroe County. In North Carolina, the pygmy salamander is only documented in Graham County along the Tennessee border.[6] The highest abundance of pygmy salamanders is found at higher elevations ranging from 1600 to 2082 meters. The distribution of the salamander primarily lies adjacent to areas of red spruce (Picea rubens) and Fraser's fir (Abies fraseri) forests at these high elevations. However, pygmy salamanders populations can be found at lower elevations from 950 to 1400 meters, but the highest densities occur at the higher elevations.[7] Desmognathus wrighti populations appear to have stayed fragmented for some time due to their restriction to high elevation. The lower elevation populations of the pygmy salamanders documented exhibit little gene flow. This low gene flow reflects their preference for higher elevation and possible competition with other Appalachian salamanders.[6] In its known geographical locations the pygmy salamander can primarily be found in moist depressions such as under logs and rocks along streams, in damp leaf litter, and in mossy areas.[3]

Ecology

Desmognathus wrighti is typically a light brown color with a dorsal pigmentation pattern of inverted V's in a darker brown. The salamander ranges from 35 mm to 55 mm and rarely exceeds 50 mm making it the smallest salamander in the genus Desmognathus. Pygmy salamanders are typically found at higher elevations. Adult salamanders are active at night and have been found up to one meter above the ground in vegetation.[5] The pygmy salamander is the most terrestrial species of its genus. It lives in depressions in moss and leaf litter on the forest floors and is most often found in spruce-fir forests of high elevation. The salamander goes to seepages and stream banks for egg-laying in summer and early autumn.[8]

Life history and behavior

D. wrighti courtship differs from other members of Desmognathus in the phenology of oviposition which is in late summer into autumn. Males reach sexual maturity by their second or third year while females reach their sexual maturity by their third year.[3] Males normally have two testes lobes but this number can increase with body size. In courtship males use their vomerine teeth to bite the female which in turn allows pheromone secretion to enter directly into the female circulation.[5] D. wrighti and D. aeneus are the only two desmognathine salamanders that exhibit the courtship that which the male bite and seizes its partner before behaviors exhibited to accomplish sperm transfer. The male approaches the female quickly, bites, and tugs as he begins to undulate his tail. The female in return turns towards the male and places her chin on his laterally undulating tail so that they rotate in full circle. Typically in courtship behavior a Plethodontidae characteristic tail-straddling walk follows. In the tail-straddling walk, the male release the female and slides his head under her chin, then her forelimbs straddle the male's tail and the pair then move forward.[4] The male then deposits a spermatophore on the ground which is followed by the female picking up a sperm cap with her cloacal lips as she moves forward undulating her pelvic area.[9]

Desmognathus wrighti females have an average clutch size of 8 to 9 eggs which are suspended by a single attachment stalk and develop between 4 and 25 oocytes. Females lay eggs in banks of streams in areas of saturated gravel. The females also typically remain close to their egg mass and coil their bodies around the mass. Eggs change from spheroid shape to ovoids when hatching conditions occur. The embryo then thrusts itself against the capsule and rotates within the egg until it escapes from the egg fluid.[9] D. wrighti hatchlings are not larvae and have gills in late embryonic stages. At hatching the ventral side is unpigmented and the characteristic ‘V’ pigmentation is found on the dorsal side. The characteristic stripe from the eye to the jaw is also present in late embryo and hatching stages.[9]

Conservation

Desmognathus wrighti was assess in 2004 as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, in light of the species having a wide distribution, a large population, and being unlikely to decline fast enough to be placed in a more threaten category. Threats to the pygmy salamander include deforestation of spruce-fir forest. Acid rain is also a threat at the high elevation that can destroy the spruce-fir trees in the pygmy salamander's natural habitat.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Geoffrey Hammerson (2004). "Desmognathus wrighti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T59259A11907504. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T59259A11907504.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Desmognathus wrighti King, 1936". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hining, K. J. and R. C. Bruce. 2005. Population structure and life history attributes of syntopic populations of the salamanders Desmognathus aeneus and Desmognathus wrighti (Amphibia: Plethodontidae). Southeastern Naturalist, 4(4): 679-688
  4. ^ a b Verrel, P. 1999. Bracketing the extremes: courtship behaviour of the smallest- and largest-bodied species in the salamander genus Desmognathus (Plethodontidae: Desmognathinae). Journal of Zoology, 247: 105-111.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Crespi, E. J., R. A. Robert, and L. J. Rissler. 2010. Taxonomic Revision of Desmognathus wrighti (Caudata: Plethodontidae). Herpetologica, 66(3): 283-295.
  6. ^ a b Reynolds, R. G., M. L. Niemiller, and S. A. Pasachnik. 2011. Occurrence of pygmy salamanders (Desmognathus wrighti) in Monroe County, Tennessee. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science, 86(2): 53-55.
  7. ^ Crespi, E. J., L. J. Rissler, and R. A. Browne. 2003. Testing Pleistocene refugia theory: phylogeographical analysis of Desmognathus wrighti, a high-elevation salamander in the southern Appalachians. Molecular Ecology, 12(4): 969-984.
  8. ^ Bruce, R. C. 1977. The pygmy salamander, Desmognathus wrighti (Amphibia, Urodela, Plethodontidae), in the Cowee Mountains, North Carolina. Journal of Herpetology, 11(2): 246-247.
  9. ^ a b c Organ, J. A. 1961. Life History of the Pigmy Salamander, Desmognathus wrighti, in Virginia. The University of Notre Dame. American Midland Naturalist, 66(2): 384-390.

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Pygmy salamander: Brief Summary

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The pygmy salamander (Desmognathus wrighti) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States in the southern Appalachians in North Carolina and Tennessee. Desmognathus wrighti is a member of the family Plethodontidae and is commonly known as the pygmy salamander. As the name suggest the pygmy salamander is the smallest of the nineteen species in the genus Desmognathus. D. wrighti undergoes direct development and does not have a free-living larval stage. Only two other taxa in Desmognathus, D. aeneus and D. organi, exhibit direct development along with the pygmy salamander. In the genus Desmognathus, body size, habitat preferences, and patterns used by males during courtship are quite variable. D. wrighti courtship is noted by the male biting and seizing its partner in order to provide them with a chemical stimulus. The pygmy salamander can be found in the southern Appalachians of the United States in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Geographical distribution of the Desmognathus wrighti is fragmented and the highest abundance of the species can be found at high elevations in spruce and fir tree forest.

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Desmognathus wrighti ( Basque )

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Desmognathus wrighti Desmognathus generoko animalia da. Anfibioen barruko Plethodontidae familian sailkatuta dago, Caudata ordenan.

Erreferentziak

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Desmognathus wrighti: Brief Summary ( Basque )

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Desmognathus wrighti Desmognathus generoko animalia da. Anfibioen barruko Plethodontidae familian sailkatuta dago, Caudata ordenan.

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Desmognathus wrighti ( French )

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Desmognathus wrighti est une espèce d'urodèles de la famille des Plethodontidae[1].

Répartition

Cette espèce est endémique des États-Unis. Elle se rencontre dans l'ouest de la Caroline du Nord, dans l'Ouest de la Caroline du Sud, dans l'est du Tennessee et dans le nord de la Géorgie[1].

Étymologie

Cette espèce est nommée en l'honneur de George Melendez Wright (1904-1936)[2].

Publication originale

  • King, 1936 : A new salamander (Desmognathus) from the southern Appalachians. Herpetologica, vol. 1, p. 57-60.

Notes et références

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Desmognathus wrighti: Brief Summary ( French )

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Desmognathus wrighti est une espèce d'urodèles de la famille des Plethodontidae.

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Desmognathus wrighti ( Portuguese )

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Desmognathus wrighti é uma espécie de salamandra da família Plethodontidae.

É endémica dos Apalaches.

Os seus habitats naturais são: florestas temperadas, rios intermitentes e nascentes de água doce.

Está ameaçada por perda de habitat.

Referências

  1. Geoffrey Hammerson (2004). «Desmognathus wrighti». Lista Vermelha de Espécies Ameaçadas. 2004: e.T59259A11907504. doi:. Consultado em 16 de novembro de 2021
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Desmognathus wrighti: Brief Summary ( Portuguese )

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Desmognathus wrighti é uma espécie de salamandra da família Plethodontidae.

É endémica dos Apalaches.

Os seus habitats naturais são: florestas temperadas, rios intermitentes e nascentes de água doce.

Está ameaçada por perda de habitat.

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Pygmésalamander ( Swedish )

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Pygmésalamander (Desmognathus wrighti) är ett stjärtgroddjur i familjen lunglösa salamandrar och släktet Desmognathus (skymningssalamandrar), som finns i östra USA.

Utseende

Pygmésalamandern är den minsta arten i släktet, med en längd mellan 3,7 och 5 cm. Karakteristiskt för arten är att huden på den smala nosen och ögonlocken är skrynklig. Den har en rödbrun, men variabel färg, med ett mörkare fiskbensmönster längs ryggen. Som på alla skymningssalamandrar finns ett ljust streck mellan munnen och ögat.[2] Undersidan kan vara opigmenterad men det förekommer också att den har samma färg som ovansidan.[3]

Utbredning

Arten finns i södra Appalacherna från sydvästra Virginia till östra Tennessee och sydöstra North Carolina i USA.[1]

Vanor

Pygmésalamandern finns framför allt i barrskog men även i mindre utsträckning i lövskog på höjder mellan 760 och 2 080 m. Den tenderar att föredra gammalskog framför ungskog. Vanligen gömmer den sig under löv, mossa, stenar och barken på stubbar, men kan också klättra upp till 2 m i träd i fuktig väderlek.[1] Arten är i hög grad landlevande. Födan består framför allt av små leddjur, som hoppstjärtar, kvalster, klokrypare, parasitsteklar, små skalbaggar, tripsar och små flugor.[4] Det är en nattaktiv art. Till hösten gräver den ner sig i fuktig mark för att ligga i dvala under vintern.[3]

Fortplantning

Relativt litet är känt om artens fortplantning. Parningen sker på land och inleds med att hanen griper honan med käkarna och kan hålla henne så i flera timmar, innan det fortsatta parningsspelet fortsätter.[2] Äggen läggs i fuktig jord, och ungarna har inget egentligt larvstadium eller någon förvandling, utan kläcks som landlevande kopior av föräldrarna, utan gälar. Könsmognaden inträder vid omkring 3,5 års ålder för hanarna och 4,5 års ålder för honorna. Honorna brukar dock inte lägga ägg före 5 års ålder. Under parningstiden bildar hanarna revir, som de försvarar frenetiskt mot andra hanar.[4]

Status

Pygmésalamandern betraktas som livskraftig ("LC"), och beståndet är stabilt och minskar inte. Skogsavverkning och turistnäring i känsliga miljöer anses emellertid som risker.[1]

Referenser

  1. ^ [a b c d] Desmognathus wrightiIUCN:s rödlista (engelska). Auktor: Geoffrey Hammerson (2004), läst 2009-09-10.
  2. ^ [a b] ”Pygmy salamander (Desmognathus wrighti)” (på engelska). Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. 2009. Arkiverad från originalet den 11 oktober 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091011142230/http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?s=020040. Läst 8 september 2009.
  3. ^ [a b] Elizabeth Reisman, UC Berkeley (2001-04-25; uppdaterad 2008-01-13). Desmognathus wrighti (på engelska). AmphibiaWeb, University of California. http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Desmognathus&where-species=wrighti&account=amphibiaweb. Läst 10 september 2009.
  4. ^ [a b] Julian R. Harrison, Emeritus Professor, College of Charleston, SC (2009). Desmognathus wrighti (på engelska). AmphibiaWeb, University of California. http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?query_src=aw_lists_genera_&table=amphib&where-genus=Desmognathus&where-species=wrighti. Läst 10 september 2009.

Externa länkar

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Pygmésalamander: Brief Summary ( Swedish )

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Pygmésalamander (Desmognathus wrighti) är ett stjärtgroddjur i familjen lunglösa salamandrar och släktet Desmognathus (skymningssalamandrar), som finns i östra USA.

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Саламандра крихітна ( Ukrainian )

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Опис

Загальна довжина досягає 3,5—5 см. Голова коротка, морда закруглена. Має 6 сошникових зубів на кожній стороні рота. Тулуб стрункий, довгий. Хвіст менший за довжиною, ніж тулуб. Забарвлення світло-коричневе, коричнево-бронзове, цегляно-жовте з темно—коричневим пігментом на спині та перевернутою буквою «V». Від ока до щелепи тягнеться світла смуга.

Спосіб життя

Полюбляє лісисті та гірські місцини. Зустрічається на висоті 762—2,012 м над рівнем моря. Ховається у листі. Активна у присмерку. Живиться дрібними безхребетними.

Самиця відкладає в опале листя 8—9 яєць.

Розповсюдження

Мешкає у штатах Північна та Південна Кароліна, Теннессі, Джорджія (США).

Джерела

  • Reynolds, R. G., M. L. Niemiller, and S. A. Pasachnik. 2011. Occurrence of pygmy salamanders (Desmognathus wrighti) in Monroe County, Tennessee. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science, 86(2): 53-55.
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Desmognathus wrighti ( Vietnamese )

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The Pygmy Salamander (Desmognathus wrighti) là một loài kỳ giông thuộc họ Plethodontidae. Đây là loài đặc hữu của Hoa Kỳ.

Môi trường sống tự nhiên của chúng là rừng ôn đới, sông có nước theo mùa, và suối nước ngọt. Chúng hiện đang bị đe dọa vì mất môi trường sống.

Tham khảo

Liên kết ngoài

 src= Phương tiện liên quan tới Desmognathus wrighti tại Wikimedia Commons


Hình tượng sơ khai Bài viết Bộ Có đuôi này vẫn còn sơ khai. Bạn có thể giúp Wikipedia bằng cách mở rộng nội dung để bài được hoàn chỉnh hơn.
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Desmognathus wrighti: Brief Summary ( Vietnamese )

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The Pygmy Salamander (Desmognathus wrighti) là một loài kỳ giông thuộc họ Plethodontidae. Đây là loài đặc hữu của Hoa Kỳ.

Môi trường sống tự nhiên của chúng là rừng ôn đới, sông có nước theo mùa, và suối nước ngọt. Chúng hiện đang bị đe dọa vì mất môi trường sống.

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Крохотная саламандра ( Russian )

provided by wikipedia русскую Википедию
Царство: Животные
Подцарство: Эуметазои
Без ранга: Вторичноротые
Подтип: Позвоночные
Инфратип: Челюстноротые
Надкласс: Четвероногие
Подкласс: Беспанцирные
Подотряд: Salamandroidea
Подсемейство: Plethodontinae
Вид: Крохотная саламандра
Международное научное название

Desmognathus wrighti King, 1936

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ITIS 173645NCBI 52108EOL 1019154

Крохотная саламандра[1] (лат. Desmognathus wrighti) — вид хвостатых амфибий рода Тёмные саламандры (Desmognathus) семейства Безлёгочные саламандры (Plethodontidae). Видовое латинское название дано в честь американского биолога Джорджа Райта (1904—1936)[2].

Общая длина достигает 3,5—5 см. Голова короткая, морда закругленная. Туловище стройное, длинное. Длина хвоста меньше длины туловища. Окраска светло-коричневая, коричнево-бронзовая, кирпично-жёлтая с тёмно-коричневым пигментом на спине и перевернутой буквой «V». От глаза к челюсти тянется светлая полоса.

Любит лесистые и горные местности. Встречается на высоте от 762 до 2012 метров над уровнем моря. Прячется в листве. Активна в сумерках. Питается мелкими беспозвоночными.

Самка откладывает в опавшие листья 8—9 яиц.

Вид распространён в США (штаты Северная и Южная Каролина, Теннесси, Джорджия).

Примечания

  1. Ананьева Н. Б., Боркин Л. Я., Даревский И. С., Орлов Н. Л. Пятиязычный словарь названий животных. Амфибии и рептилии. Латинский, русский, английский, немецкий, французский. / под общей редакцией акад. В. Е. Соколова. — М.: Рус. яз., 1988. — С. 25. — 10 500 экз.ISBN 5-200-00232-X.
  2. Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America
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Крохотная саламандра: Brief Summary ( Russian )

provided by wikipedia русскую Википедию

Крохотная саламандра (лат. Desmognathus wrighti) — вид хвостатых амфибий рода Тёмные саламандры (Desmognathus) семейства Безлёгочные саламандры (Plethodontidae). Видовое латинское название дано в честь американского биолога Джорджа Райта (1904—1936).

Общая длина достигает 3,5—5 см. Голова короткая, морда закругленная. Туловище стройное, длинное. Длина хвоста меньше длины туловища. Окраска светло-коричневая, коричнево-бронзовая, кирпично-жёлтая с тёмно-коричневым пигментом на спине и перевернутой буквой «V». От глаза к челюсти тянется светлая полоса.

Любит лесистые и горные местности. Встречается на высоте от 762 до 2012 метров над уровнем моря. Прячется в листве. Активна в сумерках. Питается мелкими беспозвоночными.

Самка откладывает в опавшие листья 8—9 яиц.

Вид распространён в США (штаты Северная и Южная Каролина, Теннесси, Джорджия).

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