See The Hidden Jewels of Appalachia Video Here If you want to
hit paydirt the Appalachian region is the world’s salamander El
Dorado—home to over 70 salamander species. Australia and Sub-
Saharan Africa have no salamanders, Asia has 27 species the
whole of Europe has 36 species. Central and South America have a
bunch of salamander species, but they are mostly from just a few
genera of lungless salamanders. I lived in England for a while
and saw what a big deal people make out of the few newt species
there. People love ‘em. As a result, I was expecting to find a
hardcore citizen-naturalist contingent of salamander fans in the
USA. What I found instead, was a hardcore biologist fanbase of
salamanders who were acutely aware of these hidden jewels.
However, the more I spoke to non-biologists living in the
Eastern USA, I learned that many people take these critters for
granted, or have never noticed them. Salamanders can be found in
rivers, ponds, streams and vernal pools, under rotting logs and
in caves. They inha