Spring salamander
The spring salamander ("Gyrinophilus porphyriticus") is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae It is found in Canada and the United States. The generic name, "Gyrinophilus", means "tadpole lover" and refers to the long period of time it spends as a gilled larva before maturing. The specific name, "porphyriticus", is Latin from Greek, meaning the color of porphyry, a purple stone, and this salamander has also been called the purple salamander. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, freshwater springs, inland karsts, and caves. In addition to insects, worms, and other small invertebrates, the  fairly large spring salamander may also consume smaller stream dwelling salamanders such as two-lined and dusky salamanders. In fact, they are considered salamander specialist in some areas such as the North Carolina Mountains, where 50% of their diets consist of other salamanders including their own kind Although deforestation is a potential threat, the spring salamander occurs in many protected areas and is not listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List. Description. Like all members of the family Plethodontidae these salamanders have a nasolabial groove. The subspecies "G. p. porphyriticus" and "G. p. duryi" can be long. The record  length is . The light line from eye to nostril is bordered below by gray pigment, but the markings are not always conspicuous. The dorsal coloration varies from salmon or light brownish to pink or reddish. The ground color has a cloudy appearance, and the darker markings are vague. The subspecies "G. p. danielsi" and "G. p. dunni" can be . The record length is . Adults reach larger sizes at higher elevations as a consequence of delay in development to maturity after metamorphosis in high-level populations. The white line from eye to nostril, bordered below by a conspicuous black or dark  brown line, is distinctive. There also may be a dark line above the white line, often conspicuous. The dorsal coloration can be clear reddish, salmon, or orange-yellow marked with black or brown spots or flecks. 17 to 19 costal grooves. Larvae are aquatic and have stream-type morphology. Juveniles are typically more brightly colored than adults. Habitat. This species is found in cool springs and mountain springs, but is also likely to be found in any wet depression beneath logs, stones, or leaves in the surrounding forest. They require being in areas that provide them with adequate oxygen and  moisture because they conduct cutaneous respiration. During the colder months of the year, the salamanders will spend their time in wet soil close to a source of water where they remain somewhat active in burrows, or in the leaf litter near a stream or other body of water. Geographic range. Its distribution ranges from southern Quebec to northern Alabama and extremely northeast Mississippi. There is also an isolated colony in Hamilton County, Ohio. "G. p. duryi" is present in southern Ohio, eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, and western Virginia. The distribution range of "G. p. danielsi" is the southern Appalachian Mountains  and the adjacent Piedmont from North Carolina to Alabama. "G. p. dunni" is distributed through the southern portion of the Blue Ridge Province and the Piedmont from southwest North Carolina to eastern to central Alabama. The nominate subspecies, "G. p. porphyriticus", occupies the remainder of the geographical range of this species. Predation. Fish are the main predators of the spring salamander, including the Brook Trout ("Salvelinus fontinalis"). Survival of the spring salamander is reduced by over 50% in the presence of fingerling brook trout with an even greater reduction in the presence of adult fish. The growth of spring salamanders  is reduced by as much as 90% in areas where spring salamanders and brook trout coexist. Conservation Status. The IUCN Red List categorizes the Spring salamander as least concern, and the United States Federal list has no specific status noted for "G. porphyriticus". However in the state of Connecticut "G. porphyriticus" is listed as threatened. These populations are threatened in Connecticut primarily due to deforestation, agriculture, and introduction of fish for sport such as trout.