The red-cheeked salamander is a uniform steely grey colour with conspicuous red, orange or yellow patches on the side of the head. The imitator salamander is thought to be a mimic and is very similar in appearance but has a pale line joining jaw to eye and more robust hind legs.
Distribution and habitat
The red-cheeked salamander is found in mountainous areas of the south eastern United States. The main populations are along the border between North Carolina and Tennessee but separate populations occurs in Rabun County, Georgia. The altitude range is 210 to 1950 metres but few specimens are found below. Almost the whole altitude range occurs within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The red-cheeked salamander is a terrestrial species and is found in both hardwood and coniferous forests, particularly in red spruce and Fraser fir woodland. It is plentiful in areas with a ground cover of moss and leaf litter among large boulders.
Biology
The red-cheeked salamander conceals itself during the day under rocks and in or under rotten logs. It has extensive shallow burrows through which it can move about. At night and during rain it emerges onto the surface to forage. Each salamander has a small home range which is about for a male and for a female. When displaced by a distance of or more, most salamanders managed to return to their home. The red-cheeked salamander feeds on small invertebrates including worms, snails, springtails, spiders, insects and insect larvae. Creatures that prey on the red-cheeked salamander include birds, the common garter snake, the blackbelly salamander and the spring salamander. When attacked, it turns its tail towards the predator and emits a sticky, noxious mucus. It may bite the head of a snake or twine its tail round its head. Another defensive strategy is the autotomisation of its tail, which may leave the predator a tasty morsel while the salamander flees. Little is known of the breeding habits of the red-cheeked salamander but they are likely to be similar to those of other members of the genus Plethodon with a clutch of eggs being brooded by the female and each egg developing directly into a juvenile without an intervening larval stage.
Status
The red-cheeked salamander is listed as being "Near Threatened" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The population of the species appears to be stable but the area of its range is less than. Balancing this, it is common in many locations, tolerates forestry disturbance and lives completely within the confines of the national park. The main threats may be acid rain, climate change and the damage to forests caused by the balsam woolly adelgid.
