New Lungless Salamander Species Found, 'Patch-nosed' Salamander

by alia_d | July 9, 2009 at 09:11 am

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A unique new species of lungless salamander has been discovered in the Appalachian foothills of the United States. The lungless salamander has been named the 'patch-nosed' salamander because it has a yellow patch on its head. The salamander breathes through its skin and is about an inch long.

Two graduate students, Bill Peterman of the University of Missouri, Columbia and Joe Milanovich of the University of Georgia, Athens discovered the first example of the species, scientifically named Urspelerpes brucei. They took the animal to [biologist Carlos Camp of Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia] for identification.

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"The genetic data revealed that this was far more unusual than any of us suspected, which is why we described it in its own genus," says Camp.

But the amphibian also looks strikingly different to other species.

For a start, it has the smallest body size of any salamander in the US. It is also the only lungless salamander in the US whose males have a different colour and pattern than females, a trait more characteristic of birds.

The 'patch-nosed' salamander is the first four-footed amphibian that has been defined as its own genus for more than 50 years. A genus is a taxonomic grouping that usually includes a variety of related species.

The team of scientists that discovered the salamander knows very little about it. The scientists have only discovered 8 adult 'patch-nosed' salamanders. This may because the salamander is very secretive or because it is already so endangered that it only exists in small, isolated pockets.

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