Common Name: Patch-nosed Salamander
Scientific Name: Urspelerpes brucei
Family: Plethodontidae – Lungless Salamander family
Locations: United States – Georgia and South Carolina
Size: 1.0 inch (25 – 26 mm)
The Patch-nosed Salamander is a relatively new species of salamander to science, only being described in 2009. It is the only species in its genus – Urspelerpes. They are closely related to the Brook Salamanders (genus Eurycea) but the Patch-nosed Salamander has five toes on their hind feet while the Brook Salamanders has only four.
Not much is known about the species since its still relatively new to science. The Patch-nosed Salamander lives in the streams hiding under rocks and leaves of the southern Blue Ridge Mountain. The female salamanders lay between 6 to 14 eggs.
The males of the Patch-nosed Salamander have a bright yellow back with two dorsal stripes while the female salamanders have a blander yellow color with no stripes.
The species epithet, brucei, honors Dr. Richard C. Bruce, former professor at Western Carolina University and retired director of Highlands Biological Station in North Carolina. The station promotes education of the natural history of the southern Blue Ridge, from kindergarten students to graduate students and professional researchers.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Patch-nosed Salamander as Near Threatened for Extinction. The species has a highly restricted range that falls mostly in the National Forest. However, there are no federal protections for the species and an increase in logging in the area would be detrimental to be salamanders.
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