Coeur d'Alene salamander

Coeur d'Alene salamander
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Plethodontinae
Genus: Plethodon
Species: P. idahoensis
Binomial name
Plethodon idahoensis
Slater & Slipp, 1940[2]
Synonyms

Plethodon vandykei idahoensis

The Coeur d'Alene salamander, Plethodon idahoensis, is a species of woodland salamander (Plethodon) in the family of lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae) found in northern Idaho, western Montana, and southeastern British Columbia.[1][3] This species was discovered in 1939 by James R. Slater and John W. Slipp on the south shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho.[2] It was once considered to be a subspecies of Van Dyke's salamander, as Plethodon vandykei idahoensis, but appears to be a distinct and separate species as originally suggested by Slater and Slipp (1940).[3]

Description

P. idahoensis specimens are slender salamanders from two to four inches in length. The adult has a nasolabial groove, parotoid glands, and parasphenoid teeth. Coloration and markings key to characterizing this species include a dark ground color with a yellow-gold dorsal stripe that extends the length of the organism, as well as ventral yellow patches on the throat. The toes of the Coeur d'Alene salamander are shorter than those of the long-toed salamander, which aids in distinguishing the two species.

The eggs of the Coeur d'Alene salamander have a unique appearance, as well. They are not pigmented and occur in grape-like clusters, attached via a single thread.

Distribution

While the majority of this species is localized in northern Idaho, some instances of capture/sighting in western Montana and southeastern British Columbia have occurred. About 95% of observed populations in Idaho and Montana have been verified extant since 1987; the remainder may have [extirpated], but with a general lack of knowledge on the population trends of the Coeur d'Alene salamander.

The majority of known data has been observed in the St. Joe and North Fork Clearwater River basins, but they also occur in the Selway, Kootenai, and Moyie drainages.

Habitat

The preferred territory of P. idahoensis is in the corridors of stream riparian zones, in the splash zone of waterfalls, near seeps and springs, or in stream-side scree. Specimens are usually associated with fractured rock formations in moist environments, often localized around fresh, moving water.

Lifestyle

Generally, these salamanders only come above ground during the night when the temperature is above 45 °F. Coeur d'Alene salamanders are known to eat aquatic insects and other invertebrates, which are also active during the night.

In northern Idaho, P. idahoensis emerges from winter hibernation in late March and is active near the surface through April and May; this surface activity is negatively correlated with both high daytime temperatures and the number of days since last rain. From June until mid-September, Coeur d'Alene salamanders retreat underground to aestivate. A second period of activity continues with September through early November rains, followed by a period of hibernation that lasts until spring.

Reproduction

Clutch size varies from a small cluster (about 4) to 13.

Management issues

Due to lack of research and rarity of sightings/capture, population trend data for the Coeur d'Alene salamander are spotty at best. There are thought to be small sites where the species is abundant and capable of observation, but without an implemented monitoring program, few data are available with which to evaluate population trends. This lack of information puts the Coeur d'Alene salamander on both Idaho's and Montana's Species of Special Concern lists.


Conservation classifications

SystemStatus
Rangewide G4 Apparently secure
Statewide S2 Imperiled
ESA No status
US Forest Service Region 1: Sensitive
Bureau of Land Management Type 3 Regional/State imperiled
Idaho Department of Fish and Game Protected nongame

References

  1. 1 2 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2014). "Plethodon idahoensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 Slater JR and Slipp JW (1940). "A new species of Plethodon from Northern Idaho" (PDF). Occasional Papers, Department of Biology, University of Puget Sound 8: 38–43. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
  3. 1 2 Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Plethodon idahoensis Slater and Slipp, 1940". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 19 September 2015.

Additional reading

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