Webster's Salamander

Webster's salamander is a cryptic species which is morphologically nearly indistinguishable from several other eastern Plethodon species, including red-backed salamanders (P. cinereus, P. serratus) and zigzag salamanders (P. angusticlavius, P. dorsalis, P. ventralis). Like these species, Webster's salamander is a small plethodontid with a wide range of color patterns on a dark brown background. The back often has a red, orange, or yellow dorsal stripe which may have irregular edges, or it may be unstriped entirely. The dorsal stripe, when present, is typically brighter on the tail than the torso. The flanks and underside are speckled with white, red, and black. Webster's salamander is mainly differentiated through genetic data and its geographic range, which mostly does not overlap with similar species. There is some sympatric overlap with the southern zigzag salamander (P. ventralis) in northern Alabama. Although these species may be confused with each other in that area, they never hybridize, and P. websteri is usually found in a striped morph while P. ventralis is usually in an unstriped morph where they co-occur. P. websteri and P. ventralis have subtle but measurable differences in head shape, and this appears to be unrelated to their diet or broader climate conditions. …

Individuals forage on the forest floor from late October to early May, with activity levels and observations reaching their peak in the winter. Individuals could be readily found sheltering under logs even on dry days in the winter, while no individuals were observed at all during the summer, regardless of the weather. Juveniles stay out slightly longer than adults, but even they disappear by June. The breeding season was probably from January to March according to the biology of collected males. Though oviposition has not been directly observed, the species is an annual breeder and direct developer like other Plethodon species. Females have a clutch size of 3-8 eggs (usually 5 or 6), presumably laid during the summer, which hatch into terrestrial young soon afterwards. This is among the smallest clutch size in any plethodontid, and is probably a consequence of their small adult size. Most growth is achieved during active months (October to May), and the age of sexual maturity is estimated to be around 2 years on average. Individuals are often assumed to take shelter underground during the inhospitable summer, and drift fence experiments have helped to reveal exactly how this movement occurs. As warmer months approach, salamanders travel on humid nights towards rock outcrops and crevasses, which allow access to cooler and moister underground refuge from summer heat. …