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Recognized Subspecies in VA: None Size: 2.25 - 4.5 inches Status: Least Concern Description & BehaviorBrown, nondescript, mottled salamander that is very similar to the Northern Dusky. Base is generally a gray brown and there is usually a brighter stripe down the back that fades with age. There are typically darker lines bordering this stripe, but they can be very wide on this species, making them appear to have have darker sides or upper flanks. Instead of the typical mottling seen in the Northern Dusky, this species often has granite-like speckling across the body. The venter is a lighter gray and is often mottled. The salting seen in many related Desmognathus species is present as well. The tail is slightly more keeled than that of the Northern Dusky, and there may be a brighter line (orangey) down the top of the keel. Eye-jaw lines are often quite weak in Virginia populations. There are two populations in Virginia, and they are notable based on their habitat differences. Specimens in the western piedmont behave very similarly to Northern Duskies and can usually be found by flipping rocks and logs along streams. The coastal plains however does not have many rocks outside of small, round quartz (not ideal for salamanders to hide under) in some places. We have worked sections of creek by flipping to only find two of these salamanders (usually under logs), just to go back that night with a flashlight and see dozens moving around. These creeks are generally slow-moving and muddy. Habitat
The population in the western piedmont seems to like clean, rocky streams while the coastal plains population does not have the luxury of rocky streams. These animals are usually living in blackwater creeks with muddy bottoms. The forest compositions are usually maple/gum swamps and Baldcypress with ample American Holly, Sweetbay Magnolia, and Switch Cane. They like logs, leaf jams, and root balls under banks undermined by erosion. We often see them leaving and entering crayfish burrows at night, and suspect they rely heavily on these hideouts. We have occasionally found them under logs at the edge of swamps and larger rivers such as Chowan River just south of the Virginia state line. That said, this species can be quite hard to find in the southeast. Streams where they are present seem to have strong populations, but they are absent from many sites. Theoretically they could be found anywhere in the Chowan and Northwest River drainages, but we know of only a few sites that are productive. The western population can be found in the Dan River drainage, but some of the streams are also home to the Flathead Salamander, and there are conflicting papers to where boundaries are drawn in counties like Henry. I personally find it hard to say most Henry specimens are not Flatheads, not just due to appearance but we (Ty Smith & Evan Spears) discovered the first population of Flathead Salamanders in North Carolina, and Brian Bockhahn took samples to a lab to confirm genetically that they were Flathead; see: A New Species of Salamander in North Carolina Desmognathus planiceps, Rockingham County. While this is a North Carolina site, the park straddles the state line and is square in the area where Candidate-species delimitation in Desmognathus salamanders reveals gene flow across lineage boundaries, confounding phylogenetic estimation and clarifying hybrid zones, Pyron and teams' assessment of these animals done at nearly the same time, would suggest these are Wolf Duskies. Bockhahn's lab seemed to look at nucellar DNA and not mitochondrial, but these two species should be rather distinct as Flathead is closer to the Northern Dusky genetically than it would be to the Wolf Dusky. In other words, I would say if the test said Northern Dusky it would have likely been inconclusive, but the fact they confirmed Flathead and not one of the lowland clades seems rather straightforward. So, do with that what you will. I can see a world where someone missed something or maybe both are right (and wrong at the same time) and something more complicated is happening. This is science doing science here. Similar Species
The Northern Dusky is of course very similar, but fortunately should not share any watersheds with this species. The pattern on the Wolf Dusky is generally more static-like than on the Northern Dusky, and those thick, dark lines also are helpful. Most Wolf Duskies have portholes, and most Northern Duskies lack these. That said, these are generalizations and both species are variable. Often we try to find several specimens and based on the traits we see overall in the population, we make a determination. Those areas where they meet with Flathead Salamanders still need to be determined genetically, but the Flathead seems to have more of that Northern Dusky appearance. Many have yellow venters. The Piedmont Dusky also can have that thick, dark line down the upper flanks, but their pattern is generally cleaner, less granite-like, and they usually have strong eye-jaw stripes. Once again, watersheds will be helpful, as Piedmont Duskies are found in the Roanoke (below Kerr Reservoir) and the Meherrin River drainages. Taxonomy & Phylogeny
The Wolf Dusky was only described in 2023 as a result of Systematic revision of the Spotted and Northern Dusky Salamanders (Plethodontidae: Desmognathus conanti and D. fuscus), with six new species from the eastern United States by Alexander Pyron and David Beamer. Prior to this, the southeastern population was considered Holbrook's Southern Dusky (D. auriculatus). The western population was seen as Northern Duskies. I still see Holbrook's Southern Dusky listed as a Virginia species on various databases, but keep in mind this is outdated and now Holbrook's Southern Dusky is only found in Georgia and Florida. There was a brief moment of confusion as the Carolina Swamp Dusky (D. valtos) was described prior to the Wolf Dusky and this species is seemingly the closest relitive to the Wolf Dusky. Not knowing if the Wolf Dusky would be described, some decided it best to call this population under the name D. valtos until we had an official name for this species. We see traces of that in some databases as well, so just remember that D. valtos was a placeholder and never truly considered a Virginia species. Works CitedPyron, R. A., O’Connell, K. A., Lemmon, E. M., Lemmon, A. R., & Beamer, D. A. (2022). Candidate‐species delimitation in Desmognathus salamanders reveals gene flow across lineage boundaries, confounding phylogenetic estimation and clarifying hybrid zones. Ecology and Evolution, 12(2). Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8574
Pryon, R.A., Beamer, D.A. (2023). Systematic revision of the Spotted and Northern Dusky Salamanders (Plethodontidae: Desmognathus conanti and D. Fuscus), with six new species from the eastern United States. Zootaxa, 5311(4). https://doi.org/5311.4.1 Comments are closed.
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