West Virginia Spring Salamander
Encyclopedia
The West Virginia Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus) is a species of salamander
in the Plethodontidae family.
It is endemic to the United States
.
Its natural habitat
s are inland karst
s and cave
s.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
The salamander is only found in the General Davis Cave in Greenbrier County and is critically impaired. It is part of the drainage of the Davis Spring, the largest spring in the state of West Virginia
. This cave has been purchased by The Nature Conservancy
and is closed to the public in order to protect this salamander and a small bat colony.
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
in the Plethodontidae family.
It is endemic to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are inland karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
s and cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
The salamander is only found in the General Davis Cave in Greenbrier County and is critically impaired. It is part of the drainage of the Davis Spring, the largest spring in the state of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. This cave has been purchased by The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
and is closed to the public in order to protect this salamander and a small bat colony.
External links
- The Greenbrier River Watershed Association for more information about the karstic biota of the region
- The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia
- West Virginia Cave Conservancy A 501(c)3 Nonprofit dedicated to acquiring caves and the conservation and protection of caves within West Virginia.
- National Speleological Society The purpose of this Society shall be to promote interest in and to advance in any and all ways the study and science of speleology, the protection of caves and their natural contents, and to promote fellowship among those interested therein.