Stories

Chamberlin Dwarf Salamanders

People tend to associate winter with the death of plants and lack of wildlife but that could not be further from the truth. Several animal and plant species rely on winter temperatures to complete their life cycles. Salamanders are one example of a species that relies on the cold, wet winter to survive. Winter is the best season for salamanders to mate. They begin making their way toward ephemeral ponds when the temperatures start to drop and winter rains saturate the soil, allowing them to safely travel without drying out.

On a cold winter day in December, Dr. Todd Pierson and his grad student Raquel Gonzales from Kennesaw State University were joined by Dr. Kiyoshi Sasaki from Winthrop University and Dr. Jeffery Camper from Francis Marion University on their search for the endemic Chamberlin Dwarf Salamander. The Chamberlin Dwarf Salamander is only found in the Carolinas to date and may soon be placed on the endangered species list. While you would think that a salamander like this would be a hard find, the Salamander Search Squad was able to find six individuals in just four hours. In addition to the Chamberlin Dwarf Salamanders, Southern Two-Lined Salamanders, Dusky Salamanders and Marbled Salamanders were also found.

Several Southern Two-Lined Salamanders were found both in streams and on the land. The Southern Two-Lined Salamander males exhibited alternative reproductive tactics. Alternative reproductive tactics are discrete variations in reproductive behavior between members of a sex and within a species. The two morphs observed were “searching males” and “guarding males.” Searching males were found on land and had chemosensory attachments known as cirri on the face that helped them find mates on the forest floor. In contrast, guarding males were found in streams and had large jaw muscles that made their heads appear slightly wider. Unlike searching males, guarding males wait in the streams for their mates and fight off any other males that challenge them by biting them with their enlarged jaws. According to Dr. Peirson, herpetologist at Kennesaw State University, both strategies are successful.

Dusky Salamanders live in streams, are grey in color, and have recently been split into three species. According to Dr. Pierson, the Dusky Salamander found here was most likely a Wolf Dusky Salamander. An Adult male and several juveniles were found hiding under rocks in the stream banks.

Marbled Salamanders were also found, these are unique compared to the other salamander species observed. They are considered mole salamanders; they burrow underground and spend most of their life there until mating season. During mating season, Marbled Salamanders are the first salamanders to arrive at ephemeral ponds where they will lay eggs in a dry pond. Females guard the eggs until rain comes to fill the pond, when water reaches the eggs, they will hatch and the female leaves. Several Marbled Salamanders were found including a female guarding her eggs under a rotting log. The water level had not yet reached her but with the rain that was expected the following weekend, we were confident she would be successful. In the water there were small, newly hatched Marbled Salamanders swimming around.

In just four hours on a winter day, a world of salamanders was discovered. Four different species and over fifteen individuals were found in just one visit. It was an unbelievable experience to find so much life in the middle of winter. So next time you get the winter blues, think of all the wildlife that depends on the season and go for a walk if you can, for it truly is a winter wonderland.

For more information about South Carolina Salamanders, you can visit the South Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation’s Website.

 Author: Brianna Bergamini