Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: United States

The following account is modified from Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species, edited by Michael Lannoo (©2005 by the Regents of the University of California), used with permission of University of California Press. The book is available from UC Press.

Plethodon sequoyah Highton, 1989
            Sequoyah Slimy Salamander

Carl D. Anthony¹

1. Historical versus Current Distribution.  Sequoyah slimy salamanders (Plethodon sequoyah) were previously considered a form of Rich Mountain salamanders (P. ouachitae; Dundee, 1947; Pope and Pope, 1951) or northern slimy salamanders (P. glutinosus; Blair and Lindsay, 1965).  They were originally described by Highton et al. (1989) as a member of the glutinosus species complex most closely allied to Louisiana slimy salamanders (P. kisatchie).  The only reported locality for Sequoyah slimy salamanders is Beavers Bend State Park in southeastern Oklahoma (Black and Seivert, 1989; Highton et al., 1989; Huntington et al., 1993), but specimens that presumably belong to this species have been taken from outside the park (Dundee, 1947; Blair and Lindsay, 1961), in the southern part of McCurtain County.

2. Historical versus Current Abundance.  Unknown.  Currently, they are locally common within their limited range.

3. Life History Features.  Little is known of the life history of Sequoyah slimy salamanders.  Life history features are presumably similar to that of related forms.

            A. Breeding.  Reproduction is terrestrial.

                        i. Breeding migrations.  Unknown.

                        ii. Breeding habitat.  Breeding habitat is unknown. 

            B. Eggs.

                        i. Egg deposition sites.  Unknown, but probably similar to that of other members of the species group.

                        ii. Clutch size.  Unknown, but probably similar to that of other members of the species group.

            C. Direct Development.  No reports of egg size or number.

            D. Juvenile Habitat.  Probably the same as adult habitat.

            E. Adult Habitat.  Sequoyah slimy salamanders are most commonly found in moist woods (Black and Sievert, 1989) and ravines.  Rocks and logs are common cover objects.

            F. Home Range Size.  Unknown.

            G. Territories.  Unknown.

            H. Aestivation/Avoiding Dessication.  Aestivation is unknown.  Animals likely avoid dessicating conditions by moving under cover objects or into burrows.

            I. Seasonal Migrations.  Unknown.

            J. Torpor (Hibernation).  Probably hibernate from November to late March.

            K. Interspecific Associations/Exclusions.  Occurs sympatrically with southern red-backed salamanders (P. serratus). 

            L. Age/Size at Reproductive Maturity.  Adults range in size from 46–70 mm SVL (Huntington et al., 1993).

            M. Longevity.  Unknown.

            N. Feeding Behavior.  Unknown, but prey likely consists of small invertebrates such as worms, insects, and spiders.

            O. Predators.  Unknown.

            P. Anti-Predator Mechanisms.  Nocturnal.  All Plethodon produce noxious skin secretions (Brodie, 1977).  When handled, P. sequoyah, like other members of the glutinosus complex, releases an adhesive secretion.

            Q. Diseases.  Unknown.

            R. Parasites.  Unknown.

4. Conservation.  Sequoyah slimy salamanders have an extremely restricted distribution; their only reported locality is Beavers Bend State Park in southeastern Oklahoma, but specimens that presumably belong to this species have been taken from outside the park (see "Historical versus Current Abundance" above).  They are currently considered locally common within their limited range.

¹Carl D. Anthony
Department of Biology
John Carroll University
University Heights, Ohio 44118
canthony@jcvaxa.jcu.edu

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2020. <http://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 14 Jul 2020.

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