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The Larch Mountain salamander (''Plethodon larselli'') is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae endemic to the United States. It occurs in the Cascade Mountains of southern Washington and northern Oregon. In Washington, it occurs from the Columbia River Gorge to just north of Snoqualmie Pass. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Larch Mountain salamander is a small, terrestrial salamander. The species is characterized by a variable dorsal stripe, typically orange, light brown, or yellow, which is often blotchy. The ground color is brown, with light speckling in certain areas. This species is easily distinguishable from other western Plethodon by its reddish-salmonish venter. Adults are typically just smaller than 2 inches in snout-to-vent length, with a mode of 15 costal grooves.AmphibiaWeb. 2018
"Larch Mountain salamander"
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 31 Mar 2018.
Taxonomy
The Larch Mountain salamander was originally described as a species by D.M. Burns in 1962. Originally considered a subspecies ofVan Dyke's salamander
Van Dyke's salamander (''Plethodon vandykei'') is a small woodland salamander in the family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders. These animals breathe through their skin and are largely terrestrial. Compared to other salamanders in ''Plethod ...
, the Larch Mountain salamander's closest genetic relative is the Jemez Mountains salamander, endemic to New Mexico.
Description
The Larch Mountain salamander is a small, terrestrial salamander. The species is characterized by a variable dorsal stripe, typically orange, light brown, or yellow, which is often blotchy. The ground color is brown, with light speckling in certain areas. This species is easily distinguishable from other western Plethodon by its reddish-salmonish venter. Adults are typically just smaller than 2 inches in snout-to-vent length, with a mode of 15 costal grooves.AmphibiaWeb. 2018"Larch Mountain salamander"
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 31 Mar 2018.
References
Amphibians of the United States Plethodon Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Amphibians described in 1954 {{Plethodontidae-stub