Green Salamander

Caves and caving, beginning caving, joining the NSS, etc.

Moderator: Moderators

Green Salamander

Postby speleo » Dec 11, 2014 9:41 pm

A couple of days ago I came across a salamander unlike the ones I normally see in caves. It was light green with black spots. I see the red ones frequently, but I don't recall ever seeing one this color. I wonder if someone more knowledgeable on the subject might know what type this is. It was in a very small cave in Anderson County, Tennessee.

:cavingrocks:
speleo
Frequent Poster
 
Posts: 59
Joined: Dec 5, 2006 10:26 am
  

Re: Green Salamander

Postby UnderGroundEarth » Dec 12, 2014 12:09 pm

Image
Here is a pic of one I have seen here in Marion County, Tennessee..



"Aneides aeneus - A beautiful, rarely seen salamander (8 – 14 cm), the green salamander spends much of its time on sandstone, or sometimes limestone, rock faces with many crevices, or more rarely in trees or under the loose bark of fallen timber. This salamander has a black base color with a yellowish-green, lichen-like pattern upon the back. It has a flattened body, long legs and square toe tips, all adaptations for living on cliffs. Females of this species deposit their eggs in moist crevices in the rock face and will actively protect their eggs from small predators and fungus. The range of this species is rather limited in Tennessee, being confined mainly to the Cumberland Mountain, Highland Rim and Cumberland Plateau physiographic provinces."

Source: http://www.tn.gov/twra/tamp/salamanders.shtml
Unearthly Beauty Lies Underground for those who Venture In!
www.flickr.com/undergroundearth
User avatar
UnderGroundEarth
NSS Hall Of Fame Poster
 
Posts: 537
Joined: May 17, 2006 3:39 pm
Location: Jasper, Tennessee
Name: Kelly Smallwood
NSS #: 58745 RL,FE
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Sewanee Mountain Grotto
  

Re: Green Salamander

Postby speleo » Dec 12, 2014 6:25 pm

Thank you. That looks just like the one I saw.

:cave softly:
speleo
Frequent Poster
 
Posts: 59
Joined: Dec 5, 2006 10:26 am
  


Return to Caving General Discussion and Questions Forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

cron