Red Hills Salamander

Red Hills Salamander
(Phaeognathus hubrichti)
Description: The red hills salamander has few easily recognized distinguishing characteristics. It is best found by recognizing potential habitat and searching for burrows rather than salamanders.. It is a relatively large salamander, growing up to 10 inches in length with a dark brown tail and body. It spends almost all its time in its burrow on shady steep bluff sites, coming to the mouth on warm, humid nights to feed on invertebrate prey. The shady, moist conditions on the bluffs where the salamander lives are critical to its survival. Loss of shade and cover leads to drying by sunlight and wind and negatively impacts both the salamander and its food.

Forestry Considerations:

Obviously, mechanical damage from logging and other operations which lead to either erosion, mechanical damage to the site, or loss of canopy cover are harmful to the salamander. Removal of too many trees in the canopy on and immediately above the slopes on which these animals occur can also expose the site to excessive drying. Removal of trees just above the slope can lead to windthrow on the slope, again creating gaps in the canopy which can lead to drying of the site. It is recommended that areas known or suspected to contain red hills salamanders be investigated by knowledgeable biologists before forestry operations begin. red_hills_map.gif (19456 bytes)If red hills salamanders are found on a site, limited logging or other forestry activity is still possible, but consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may be necessary to guide future management. Habitat conservation plans have been formulated for some private lands in Alabama that permit some operations while affording protection for the salamander.

Distribution by County: The red hills salamander is found only in a narrow belt of Alabama associated with two siltstone formations called the Tallahatta and the Hatchetigbee. The salamander’s range is bounded on the east by the Conecuh River and on the west by the Alabama River. There are estimated to be less than 55,000 acres of red hills salamander habitat left in the world, all in Alabama. Portions of Butler, Crenshaw, Conecuh, Covington and Monroe contain this entire 55,000 acres.

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