Big levels salamander
A species of Woodland salamanders Scientific name : Plethodon sherando Genus : Woodland salamanders
Big levels salamander, A species of Woodland salamanders
Scientific name: Plethodon sherando
Genus: Woodland salamanders
Content
Description General Info
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Description
The Big Levels salamander (Plethodon sherando) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Virginia in the eastern United States. First described in 2004, the specific name sherando is from Sherando Lake in the George Washington National Forest. Its common name refers to the Big Levels area of southeastern Augusta County, Virginia, a series of flat to gently rolling mountain tops in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where it was found.
General Info
Lifespan
12-15 years
Diet
Big levels salamander is largely insectivorous, primarily favoring small terrestrial invertebrates. It has a particular preference for ants, beetles, and spiders, which it hunts on the forest floor, exhibiting high degrees of specialization in its dietary patterns.
Appearance
Big levels salamander is a small, slender salamander with smooth skin. Its coloration varies from dark brown to black, often overlaid with silver or bronze speckles along the body, legs, and tail. Some individual's present with a lighter, almost beige, belly. Unlike many salamanders, big levels salamander has no visible parotid glands or lung slits. It typically measures between 2.8 and 3.5 inches in length, exhibiting no significant differences in appearance due to age, gender, or subspecies.
Behavior
Big levels salamander is primarily nocturnal, surfacing from its burrow in the soil to forage for invertebrate prey at night. Its activities are rain-dependent - dry conditions prompt a retreat underground. This solitary species exhibits territorial behavior during mating seasons. Notably, big levels salamander bypasses the traditional tadpole stage, with juveniles emerging directly as miniature versions of adults.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Amphibians Order
Salamanders Family
Lungless salamanders Genus
Woodland salamanders Species
Big levels salamander 
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