User:Lkoze062/sandbox

I chose the Weller's Salamander as my topic for the article. It already has a stub which includes very basic information on the family, where and who found it, and sparse information on the organism's natural habitat. I would like to provide a description of the salamander as well as information on its habitat, diet, reproduction, conservation levels and threats, and, if there are any, unique behaviors that the salamanders exhibit. If there is enough information I would also like to include any subspecies that might have been discovered in the past.

Relevant Articles/Sources
 * Arnold, S.J., Kiemnec-Tyburczy, K.M., Houck, L.D. 2017. The Evolution of Courtship Behavior in Plethodontid Salamanders, Constrasting Patterns of Stasis and Diversification. Herpetologica. 73(2): 190-205.
 * Synder, R.C. 1946. Plethodon wellleri from Flat Top Mountain, North Carolina. Copeia. 3(1): 174.
 * Organ, J.A. 1960. Studies on the Life History of the Salamander, Plethodon welleri. Copeia. 4(1): 287-297.
 * Larson, A., Highton, R. 1978. Geographic Protein Variation and Divergence in the Salamanders of the Plethodon welleri Group (Amphibia, Plethodontidae). Systematic Zoology. 4(1): 431-448.
 * Walker, C.F. 1934. Plethodon welleri at White Top Mountain, Virginia. Copeia. 4(1): 190
 * Thurow, G.R. 1956. A New Subspecies of Plethodon welleri, with Notes on Other Members of the Genus. The American Midland Naturalist. 55(2): 343-356.

Description and Diet
These salamanders have sixteen coastal grooves with light dorsal markings with a dark underbelly. The markings are usually a dark gold color with a metallic look to it (Thurow 1956, Walker 1934). They are small in size and have a slender body (Walker 1934). Females have a simple slit-like cloacal opening while males have a cloacal gland with papillae i the vent (Thurow 2956). The dorsal pattern has spots made of brassy guanophores (a type of chromatophore) (Highton 1956). These salamanders have 17 trunk vertebrae as well as 2-7 vomerin teeth in series. The Weller's salamander also has webbed toes (Highton 1956).

Like other plethodontids, the Weller's salamander produces a noxious skin secretion when threatened and sometimes goes immobile when picked up in an effort to trick its predators that the individual is dead (Lannoo 2005).

These salamanders are mainly insectivores feeding on insects that include: pesudoscoprions, orb-weaver spiders, ticks and mites, springtails, true bugs, butterflies and moths, flies, and beetles (Lannoo 2005).

Habitat
Their range is from the southern Blue Mountain ridge in northwest North Carolina and the adjacent parts of Tennessee and Virginia (Larson 1978). These mountains include Mt. Rogers and Whitetop Mountains in southwest Virginia as well as the Unaka Mountain ridges that are in northeastern Tennessee as well as eastern North Carolina (Lannoo 2005). These salamanders are restricted to a few counties within this range (Larson 1978) and some include Johnson and Unicori counties in Tennessee as well as Yancey county in North Carolina (Lannoo 2005).

They are primarily a high-altitude species (Larson 1978) occupying the spruce forests, shady and cool birch forests, and some individuals were found in an upper level forests that consisted of hardwoods (Synder 1946, Walker 1934). These forests are mostly found in the highland areas of the salamander's range (Highton 2012). These salamanders tend to be found under longs, stones, and flakes of rock in their preferred habitats (Lannoo 2005).

Reproduction
These salamanders breed during the spring and the fall. Courtship behaviors have been observed in captivity in October. The females usually are reproductively mature at around 35 mm long and tend to be older than three years old where males can breed around 30 mm long which puts them between two and three years old. The females lay egg clutches of around four to eleven eggs that are seen in tight clusters that are suspended by a stalk. These nests have been found previously in rotting conifer logs that are under moss mats. Eggs are usually seen between mid-August to September. The eggs are between 3.6 and 6.5 mm in diameter and show direct development with little to no gills being visible once the eggs hatches (Lannoo 2005). There is evidence that the females of this species brood or guard the eggs. The females that were found with the egg clusters were undernourished which indicates that the females do not eat during their time guarding the eggs. So far, ten nest sites have had females guarding the eggs (Lannoo 2005). The eggs laid by the females are dark in color due o being pigmented with melanophores (Highton 1956).

Conservation and Threats
Populations in some areas appear to be stable, mainly the larger populations located on Grandfather Mountain and Rodgers Mountain (IUCN website). The populations in North Carolina and Virginia however are believed to be declining (IUCN). Rebounding from these population losses will be hard due to the populations being isolated from each other on mountain tops (Pague 1991). Fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to this species of salamander (Pague 1991). The high altitude of the habitat of these salamanders helps in protect the populations to some degree (Petranka 1998). Much of salamander's range on Mount Rogers is a national recreation area and most of the land within the park is protected (Pague 1991). The area around Grandfather Mountain is privately owned but seems to be under protection (Braswell 1989). The populations of these salamanders is very isolated and the small number of individuals makes those populations more susceptible to extinction in the coming years (Braswell 1989).

The major threat to this species is habitat degradation and habitat loss. The loss is mainly due to development and logging practices (Braswell 1989).