Scientific Name: Gyrinophilus porphyriticus
Taxonomy Group: Amphibians
Range: Ontario, Quebec
Last COSEWIC Assessment: May 2011
Last COSEWIC Designation: Non-active
SARA Status: Schedule 1, Special Concern
|Spring Salamander ( Adirondack / Appalachian population )||Threatened||No Status|
|Spring Salamander ( Carolinian population )||Extirpated||No Status|
Image of Spring Salamander
In Canada, the Spring Salamander is represented by the subspecies known as the Northern Spring Salamander, which is distinct from four other subspecies found only in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States.
The Spring Salamander is one of the largest members of the family of lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae). Up to 20 cm long, the adult males are slightly larger than the females. The salamander has a stout body and a broad, blunt nose, with a reddish back and tail, and a whitish belly. Coloration varies geographically, but older individuals are generally darker, and all salamanders have a pinkish colour between the dark markings on the back. A distinctive light line, edged in black, begins at the eye and extends to the nostril. The immature form (larva) is white, and has external gills that are characteristic of all aquatic salamanders.
Distribution and Population
The Spring Salamander is restricted to eastern North America. Two Canadian populations in the St. Lawrence Lowlands of southern Quebec represent the northwestern limit of the species' range: one in the Adirondack Mountains and the other in the Appalachian Mountains. These two populations are separated by the Richelieu River/Lake Champlain/Hudson River system, and their combined distributions represent about 5% of the total range of the species in North America. Two early records of the Spring Salamander in larval form in Ontario (near Ottawa, and in the Niagara region) have not been confirmed by any subsequent surveys. The size of the Canadian population of the Spring Salamander is unknown. The species is considered rare, and usually only a few individuals are located when suitable habitat is searched. In areas of local abundance, from 5 to 20 individuals may be found per 25 m of stream. It has been estimated that about 850 adults may occur in the Quebec portion of the Adirondacks.
The Spring Salamander is mainly associated with cool, clear streams in forested mountain regions. Nevertheless, individuals have been found in streams in open areas, ponds, lake edges, peat habitats, and caves. Permanent, well-oxygenated water is required for the aquatic respiration of the larvae. The lungless adults are restricted by skin respiration to moist, cool environments. During the summer, adults are usually found under large flat rocks at the edges of streams or in the vicinity of water. Small headwater streams free of predatory fish support larger populations of Spring Salamanders. The salamanders probably spend the winter in wet underground cavities or unfrozen springs.
The Spring Salamander is generally unknown to the public because it is active at night, has secretive behaviour, and is relatively rare. In North Carolina, the species reproduces annually, and mating occurs in the fall. Eggs are laid the following spring or summer, and are attached beneath large rocks or logs in flowing water. Clutch sizes tend to be larger in northern regions, ranging from 9 to 87 eggs in North and South Carolina to about 44 to 132 eggs per clutch in New York. The larvae hatch in late summer or early fall, and remain in the larval stage from three to six years. Adults emerge from the water in spring or summer and attain sexual maturity a year later. The Spring Salamander preys on other salamanders, including those of its own species, and on terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. Trout are the major predator of larval Spring Salamander and can have a large influence on salamander populations. Adult salamanders avoid being eaten by trout by going onto land. Toxic skin secretions, and red colouration that mimics more poisonous species, are believed to give them protection from terrestrial predators.
Habitat modification is the major threat to the Spring Salamander. Sedimentation, resulting from road construction and canal work, affects the survival of larvae. Pumping of aquifers near springs and changes in stream conditions following the cutting of forests at stream edges, are also detrimental. The Spring Salamander may be vulnerable to contamination from atmospheric pollutants or pesticides used in forestry and agriculture as well, although this has not been documented.
Status of Recovery Planning
Recovery Strategies :
Name Recovery Plan for Stream Salamanders in Quebec
Status Published by Jurisdiction
CWS-Quebec Species at Risk Recovery Unit
Unité du rétablissement des espèces en péril du SCF-QC - Chair/Contact -
Phone: 1-855-253-6708 Send Email
Recovery team for stream salamanders in Quebec
Lyne Bouthillier - Chair/Contact - Government of Quebec
Phone: 450-928-7608 Send Email
PLEASE NOTE: Not all COSEWIC reports are currently available on the SARA Public Registry. Most of the reports not yet available are status reports for species assessed by COSEWIC prior to May 2002. Other COSEWIC reports not yet available may include those species assessed as Extinct, Data Deficient or Not at Risk. In the meantime, they are available on request from the COSEWIC Secretariat.
7 record(s) found.
- COSEWIC Status Reports (1 record(s) found.)
- COSEWIC Assessments (1 record(s) found.)
- Response Statements (1 record(s) found.)
- Management Plans (1 record(s) found.)
- Orders (2 record(s) found.)
- Consultation Documents (1 record(s) found.)
COSEWIC Status Reports
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