Appendix 1. Detailed descriptions of the study species.
Some species have extensive ranges from the central to northern Appalachians; others are restricted to the Southern
Appalachian Highlands of western North Carolina, northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee and south-western Virginia,
where the genus attains its highest species richness and densest local assemblages. The largest species have complex
life cycles with extended aquatic larval periods and remain fully or largely aquatic as adults. Small species have brief
larval periods and are largely terrestrial throughout life (Tilley & Bernardo 1993; Bernardo & Agosta 2003).
Common blackbellied salamanders (D. quadramaculatus) are the largest species studied with adults ranging from 55120 mm SVL (Tilley & Bernardo 1993). This is a mostly aquatic species that inhabits cold, montane streams from
600 -1,700 m elevation (Hairston 1949; Organ 1961; Petranka 1998). D. quadramaculatus occurs only in the
Southern Appalachian Highlands and has a range of about 112,693 km2 from northern Georgia to southern Virginia
and West Virginia (Petranka 1998).
Seal salamanders (D. monticola) are moderately large (47-76 mm SVL (Tilley & Bernardo 1993). Where allopatric
to D. quadramaculatus, they are highly aquatic, but in sympatry they occupy more terrestrial microhabitats than D.
quadramaculatus (Hairston 1949; Organ 1961; Petranka 1998). D. monticola ranges broadly over about 344,933 km2
from north-western Florida through Alabama to north-western Pennsylvania (Petranka 1998).
Northern dusky salamanders (D. fuscus) are a medium-sized but variable (30-71 mm SVL (Tilley & Bernardo 1993)
semi-aquatic species that inhabits springs, seepages and small to large streams. D. fuscus is highly aquatic where
allopatric to its larger, highly aquatic congeners. It ranges over 6,857,949 km2 from extreme northeastern Tennessee
(SG Tilley & JB, unpublished data) and northwestern North Carolina into Maine and southern Canada (Petranka
1998).
Carolina dusky salamanders (D. carolinensis) are small to medium (27-62 mm SVL) species that ranges over 28,137
km2 north and east of the French Broad River in the Black and Great Craggy Mountains of western North Carolina
(Petranka 1998). At lower elevations D. carolinensis is moderately terrestrial in close proximity to streams and
seepages whereas high elevation populations are highly terrestrial (Hairston 1949).
Allegheny dusky salamanders (D. ochrophaeus) are a small (35-45 mm SVL) species that ranges over 526,817 km2
from the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and southern West Virginia into extreme southern Canada (Petranka
1998). They inhabit upland forests usually near moist habitats, but also forage in trees and understory vegetation.
Cowee Mountains D. “ocoee” are a phylogenetically distinct cluster of populations inhabiting the Cowee Mountains
of south-western North Carolina (1,715 km2) that will receive specific status (JB, M Yoke & KAC unpublished
data). Adults are 24-45 mm in SVL and are highly terrestrial, especially at higher elevations (Bernardo 1994;
Bernardo & Agosta 2003).
Supplemental References
Bernardo, J. 1994 Experimental analysis of allocation in two divergent, natural salamander populations. Am. Nat.
143, 14-38. (doi: 10.1086/285594)
Bernardo, J., & Agosta, S. 2003 Clinal variation in the larval life history of mountain dusky salamanders: ecological
limits on foraging time and prey abundance restrict opportunities for larval growth. J. Zool. Lond. 259, 411421.
Dunn, E.R. 1926 Salamanders of the Family Plethodontidae. Smith College Fiftieth Anniversary Publications,
Northampton, Massachusetts.
Hairston, N. G. 1949 The local distribution and ecology of the plethodontid salamanders of the southern
Appalachians. Ecol. Monogr. 19, 47-73.
Organ, J. A. 1961 Studies of the local distribution, life history, and population dynamics of the salamander genus
Desmognathus in Virginia. Ecol. Monogr. 31, 189-220.