Notophthalmus viridescens
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| ANIMALIA |
CHORDATA |
AMPHIBIA |
CAUDATA |
SALAMANDRIDAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Notophthalmus viridescens |
| Species Authority: |
(Rafinesque, 1820) |
|
Common Name/s:
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Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Least Concern
ver 3.1
|
| Year Published: |
2004 |
| Assessor/s: |
Geoffrey Hammerson |
| Reviewer/s: |
Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young) |
| Contributor/s: |
|
Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
|
Geographic Range
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| Range Description: |
This species can be found throughout the eastern USA and adjacent southern Canada; west to Minnesota, eastern Kansas, and eastern Texas (Petranka 1998). There are thousands of occurrences. |
| Countries: |
Native: Canada; United States |
| Range Map: |
Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population
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| Population: |
It is widespread and abundant. It might have increased as creation of farm ponds augmented available habitat (Petranka 1998). Could be increasing with increasing beaver populations (Petranka 1998).
|
| Population Trend: |
Stable
|
Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
Adults and larvae inhabit ponds, swamps, and quiet stream pools. Animals may burrow into mud if pond dries. Efts and sometimes adults (i.e., over wintering ones) inhabit wooded areas (terrestrial eft stage lasts 2-7 years). The adults are generally permanently aquatic in northeastern USA, but may leave pond in summer or fall in some areas (e.g., montane Virginia). Eggs are attached to submerged vegetation.
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| Systems: |
Terrestrial; Freshwater |
| Major Threat(s): |
Roads negatively impact salamander abundance in roadside habitat and might serve as partial barriers to movement (deMaynadier and Hunter 2000). Introduced bluegill sunfish might cause declines in larval abundance (Smith et al. 1999). However, the species is unthreatened overall.
|
Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
None needed. It occurs in many protected areas.
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