# Please help ID my salamander.



## MayaTheSnake (Feb 28, 2009)

This salamander was found in the Smokey Mountains, near Grotto Falls. He is approximately 1 to 1 1/2 years old and still rapidly growing. He is nocturnal and has very large eyes. He eats crickets and occationally small fish. He is extremely territorial. He bit a chunk out of the side of a paddletail newt of the same size. The tip of his mouth is very rough and hard but the rest of him is smooth and slimy. Please help me ID him and hopefully find out how big he will get. Thanks!

This is a pic of him shortly after he was found. The rock he is on is approx. 2 in long. June 2008







This pic shows his eyes pretty well. Dec 2008







This pic also shows the size of his eyes and the difference in coloring and texture of his head comared to the rest of his body. Feb 2009







This pic shows his coloration and size. Feb 2009


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

wow! never seen one like that before. The first pic makes it look familiar,but subsequent pics are very interesting. ESPECIALLY the head.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Post it on this esteemed forum:

Field Herp Forum

You will get a positive ID within a few hours and anything else you wanted to know about that gummy lizard.

There are many members on FHF that are VERY keen on Sallies.


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## melas (Oct 24, 2007)

Phil's right - check out that forum. In the mean time - take a look at dusky salamanders . . .


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

See how well the characteristics match that of the Shovel nosed salamander Desmognathus marmoratus. The size is a pretty good indicator. Check out http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Desmognathus/Desmognathus_sp.shtml

Ed


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## Jaeger (Nov 22, 2007)

I would be very surprised if it wasn't in the genus Desmognathus. Very characteristic head shape.


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## flyangler18 (Oct 26, 2007)

As soon as I saw the second pic, I thought _Desmognathus marmoratus_. I'm tickled that my ID matched Ed's!


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## MayaTheSnake (Feb 28, 2009)

Thanks, it does appear that he is a shovelnose.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

for feeding it try strips of liver from the butcher's. I have raised ambystoma(tigers) and dicamptodon(pac giants) on these handfed and from forceps with great results. My tiger was brought back on the plane from wyoming @approx 5 inches and I raised it for 10 years to 13" before I moved away to college and gave him away. dust with some vitamins and wiggle strips in front of his face. fun to hand feed stuff


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## MayaTheSnake (Feb 28, 2009)

Thanks. He eats really well he's kinda fat LOL. As far as hand feeding, that will never happen I had to dig him out of the dirt in his tank to take pics. He is very shy, if he see's you he runs. He does seem to love his tank though. He has 2 waterfalls and he has dug many tunnels through the dirt. One of the waterfalls has a mostly underwater cave that he stays in most the time. Spoiled salamander!


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