A teeny-weeny salamander

Teeny-weeny? That barely describes the tiny patch-nosed salamander, Urspelerpes brucei, which is now known to exist not only in Stephens County, GA, but in adjacent SC as well.

Only an inch and a half in overall length, males of this little salamander are prominently striped while the females are a unicolored greenish-gold dorsally and laterally. Both larvae and adults have a variably prominent light patch on the snout, and it is from this marking that the common name is derived.

Urspelerpes is a monotypic genus and although some initial commenting wondered whether this classification of a salamander that was in superficial appearance quite similar to many of the brook salamanders of the genus Eurycea would stand the test of time, it has.

It was thanks to John Jensen and Carlos Camp that I had an opportunity to photograph this little plethodontid. And although I have procrastinated for the several years that have elapsed since it was described, I still intend to travel to and photograph its montane stream home. That jaunt is planned as one of this month's (July 2014) field excursions.

Goals. There always needs to be a goal.

More photos under the jump...

Adult male patch-nosed salamanders are prominently striped: Note the very prominent nasal cirri beneath the nostrils on this male patch-nosed salamander:

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.