| Dusky Salamander | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Genus: | Desmognathus |
| Species: | D. fuscus |
| Binomial name | |
| Desmognathus fuscus (Rafinesque, 1820) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Triturus fuscus Rafinesque, 1820 |
|
The Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) is an amphibian in the lungless salamander family. The species is also sometimes called the Northern Dusky Salamander by those acknowledging that populations in the southern United States form a separate species, called the Southern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus auriculatus). It can be found in eastern North America from extreme eastern Canada in New Brunswick south into the panhandle of Florida and west to Louisiana. The size of the species' total population is unknown, but is assumed to easily exceed 100,000. The species' habitat differs somewhat geographically; dusky salamanders in the northern part of the range prefer rocky woodland streams, seepages, and springs, while those in the south favor floodplains, sloughs, and muddy places along upland streams. They are most common where water is running or trickling. They hide under various objects, such as leaves or rocks, either in or near water. Alternatively they may enter burrows for protection. The dusky salamander lays its eggs close to water under moss or rocks, in logs, or in stream-bank cavities. The larval stage which follows is normally aquatic.