The West Virginia spring salamander (''Gyrinophilus subterraneus'') is a species of troglobitic

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...

in the family

Plethodontidae Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea. In ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

, the United States. The salamander is only found in the General Davis Cave in Greenbrier County and lives in cave stream passages with large amounts of decaying organic matter. It is considered

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

and is under review for listing under the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...

. General Davis Cave forms the downstream end of the Davis Hollow drainage basin. This cave has been purchased by

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

and is closed to the public in order to protect this salamander and a small bat colony. Like the western grotto salamander (''Eurycea spelaea''), the West Virginia spring salamander can undergo complete metamorphosis, which is very rare among cave salamanders. It is not known how often metamorphosis occurs, but when it does, it happens after the larvae have reached a very large size.

References

Citations

External links

The Greenbrier River Watershed Association
— ''for more information about the karstic biota of the region''.
The Nature Conservancy in West VirginiaWest Virginia Cave Conservancy
A 501(c)3 Nonprofit dedicated to acquiring caves and the conservation and protection of caves within West Virginia.
National Speleological Society
— ''promoting interest in and to advance in any and all ways the study and science of speleology, the protection of caves and their natural contents, and to promote fellowship among those interested therein.'' Cave salamanders Gyrinophilus Ecology of the Appalachian Mountains Endemic amphibians of the United States Greenbrier County, West Virginia Salamander, West Virginia spring Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Amphibians described in 1977 Endemic fauna of West Virginia {{Plethodontidae-stub

References

Citations

Further reading

External links