Alabama’s state amphibian living on the edge in timber country - AL.com

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This is the seventh in a series looking at 10 of the most unusual and noteworthy endangered species in Alabama. The state is one of the most biodiverse in the nation, and today there are 131 species on the brink of disappearing.

Growing up to 11 inches long, with glistening, moist skin and striking purple coloration, the Red Hills salamander is one of the largest lungless salamanders in the world.

It is also Alabama’s official state amphibian, and the one terrestrial vertebrate animal that is found only within the state borders.

Where do they live?

The Red Hills salamander builds burrows in the sides of steep slopes and spends most of its life inside those burrows, only venturing out at night to find food.

This striking salamander is confined to a narrow strip of land between the Alabama and Conecuh rivers in south-central Alabama, unevenly spread over roughly 60,000 acres of territory in six counties.

How many are left?

Population data is hard to come by, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the range of the species is now confined to a few narrow strips of land running across Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Butler, Monroe, and Wilcox counties.

The species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

What killed them?

The salamander breathes through its skin and needs relatively moist soil and leaf litter from trees where it can forage for insects.

About 60 percent of the salamander’s suitable habitat is owned by timber companies and about 98 percent is privately owned. Even though the salamander’s burrows are located on steep slopes, when trees are removed from the surrounding area, the salamanders generally don’t fare well.

What can we do?

More than 17,000 acres of land have habitat conservation plans, agreed upon by the landowner and the Fish and Wildlife Service, in which landowners take steps to accommodate the salamander, such as leaving a buffer of forest area around known salamander habitat.

In addition, Alabama’s Forever Wild land conservation program purchased about 4,376 acres of land in the Monroe County to provide protected habitat for the salamander and other species.

The Fish and Wildlife Service urges landowners to consider donating sensitive habitat land to the Alabama Department of Conservation or a conservation group like the Nature Conservancy, entering a conservation easement, or to work with FWS to develop a habitat conservation plan.

Is it too late?

The Red Hills salamander appears to be slow to reproduce, as biologists studying the species found very few juveniles.

The salamanders also favors old-growth habitat that is hard to restore once it’s been cleared, but it appears that enough land is being protected for the salamander to at least maintain its limited status quo.

Why should we care?

A true ambassador of Alabama, the Red Hills salamander is a unique inhabitant of our state and only our state. It is also the only salamander in its genus, meaning there are no other similar species out there, and the longest member of its sub-family.

Plus, with bulging eyes, purple skin and expressive face, it’s one of the cooler looking amphibians in the South.

Red Hills salamander graphic

Photo: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources | Graphic: Ramsey Archibald

Red Hills salamander graphic

More on the Red Hills salamander:

More from our series Endangered in Alabama:



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