Wanted Alive
Shae Hawkins
Red Hills salamander
The Red Hills salamander is a fairly large, terrestrial salamander growing to about 255 millimetres. Its body color is gray to brownish without markings, and its limbs are relatively short. It is the official state amphibian of Alabama
Naming
COMMON NAME: Red Hills Salamander
HIGHER CLASSIFICATION: Phaeuognathus
Endangered, threatened, or extinct
The Red Hills Salamander is endangered.
Around 60% of its habitat is owned or leased by paper companies that are degrading and destroying this species’ habitat by timber harvest and pine plantations. Six Habitat Conservation Plans for populations of Red Hills salamanders have been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with timber companies in southern Alabama.
How many are still alive?
estimate: Less that 500 are estimated to still be a live
facts
- The Red Hills salamander is a fairly large, terrestrial salamander growing to about 255 millimeters.
- Its body color is gray to brownish without markings, and its limbs are relatively short.
- It is the official state amphibian of Alabama
- The primary habitat is slopes of mesic shaded ravines dominated by hardwood trees
- his species can be found in the Red Hills of south-central Alabama, USA, between the Alabama and Conch Rivers
Cause of decline
The habitat of this species has been reduced by timber harvest; the conversion of mesic ravines to pine monocultures and the clearing of ridge tops above ravines destroys or degrades available habitat. Overcollecting may have caused a decline in some areas Nearly all habitats are on private timber company lands, and detrimental forestry practices continue.
What is being done
Since they cant survive out side of there moist burrows, Scientist search for the female Salamanders most and there burrows to see if they are about to have babies.