GSMNP ---- Salamander Capital of the Wor ld

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– SALAMANDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD –
     Great Smokey Mountains National Park

====> http://fisc.er.usgs.gov/c1258_Dodd/html/table_of_contents.html <====

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/amphibians.htm


Order CAUDATA—Salamanders

AMBYSTOMATIDAE


Ambystoma maculatum—Spotted salamander


Ambystoma opacum—Marbled salamander

CRYPTOBRANCHIDAE


Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis—Eastern Hellbender

PROTEIDAE


Necturus maculosus maculosus—Mudpuppy

PLETHODONTIDAE


*Aneides aeneus—Green salamander


Desmognathus aeneus—Seepage salamander


Desmognathus conanti—Spotted Dusky salamander


Desmognathus imitator—Imitator salamander


Desmognathus marmoratus—Shovelnose salamander


Desmognathus monticola—Seal salamander


Desmognathus ocoee—Ocoee salamander


Desmognathus quadramaculatus—Blackbelly salamander


Desmognathus santeetlah—Santeetlah Dusky salamander


Desmognathus wrighti—Pigmy salamander


Eurycea guttolineata—Three-Lined salamander


Eurycea junaluska—Junaluska salamander


Eurycea longicauda—Longtail salamander


Eurycea lucifuga—Cave salamander


Eurycea wilderae—Blue Ridge Two-Lined salamander


Gyrinophilus porphyriticus danielsi—Blue Ridge Spring salamander


Hemidactylium scutatum—Four-Toed salamander


Plethodon glutinosus—Slimy salamander


Plethodon jordani—Jordan’s salamander


Plethodon serratus—Southern Redback salamander


Plethodon teyahalee—Southern Appalachian Slimy salamander


Plethodon ventralis—Southern Zigzag salamander


Pseudotriton montanus diastictus—Midland Mud salamander


Pseudotriton ruber schencki—Blackchin Red salamander


SALAMANDRIDAE


Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens—Red-Spotted newt



*Aneides aeneus has been documented in the park’s fauna, but has not been seen in the park for at least 70 years.

(so be sure to keep an eye out for that one---)

”

“If I ever get a tatoo...it will be a green salamander...on my foot...”

“Thank goodness you couldn't find pics of all the species in the GSMNP. We'd been here all day. It was kinda wierd for me when I moved to N. KY from S. WV; not finding a salamander under every rock I turned. Not near as many crayfish either.
BTW you ain't seen nothin' til you've seen two hellbenders fighting during mating season. The males lock jaws then toss and spin; hard to process, even when you see it.”

“I might've missed a couple but All is what I was shooting for ---- LOL   I started that post one Sunday afternoon a few months ago and ran into problems getting all the images together....   Then forgot all about it.

All I gots ta say is, if liking salamanders is wrong I don't wanna be right.

(and you have to be careful that you spell "liking" correcting in that context)



Yep, they're badasses from way back ---- Fire Elementals and all that.   Here's a nifty stylised image from a popular film....




I've been looking for a copy of that for quite a while.   Wouldn't you know it'd turn up on the soundtrack album:




”

“I've heard that Hellbenders taste a little like chicken.”

“I always wanted a Hellbender for a pet. I had a better chance of getting a snake as a pet compared to that thing, though. They scared the bejeezus out of my mom, especially the time I lugged one into the house to show her. It was a small one, in a bucket.”

“There he goes with the Welsh again....

    (and people say Gaelic is crazy)”