The Origin and Ecology of a Likely Introduced Population of Southern Black-Bellied Salamanders (Desmognathus amphileucus)

Kevin G. Hutcheson^1,*, Todd W. Pierson², and John C. Maerz¹

¹University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E. Green Street, Athens, GA 30609. ²Kennesaw State University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, 370 Paulding Avenue NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 23, Issue 1 (2024): 29–42

First published early online: 16 February 2024

Abstract
Characterizing the origin and ecology of introduced species is important for developing management plans. We discovered an isolated population of black-bellied salamanders (Desmognathus sp.) in the Piedmont of Georgia, 30 km southwest of their known range. We used phylogenetic methods to confirm the salamanders were D. amphileucus (Southern Black-Bellied Salamander), with their closest relatives in the Blue Ridge. We observed all life stages and used mark–recapture methods to estimate a population size of 39 post-metamorphic individuals. We used gastric lavage to document prey items novel in diet studies of black-bellied salamanders but reported previously in other Desmognathus. We hypothesize this population was likely introduced via the bait trade, has grown since introduction, and is consuming resources used by native salamanders.

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