Desmognathus conanti, commonly referred to as the Spotted Dusky Salamander, is currently known to be a wide-ranging, stream-dwelling dusky salamander. In previous decades, this salamander underwent a few taxonomic revisions. Since then, some researchers have been using modern techniques to gradually build evidence that this species could be more than we thought. The Spotted Dusky … Read more
The Green Salamander may be one of the more interesting and intriguing amphibians of the eastern United States. Their pattern and coloration boldly contrast that of any other salamander native to their rocky plateau range. They spend most of their lives high above the ground. And their climbing ability is impressive. The Green Salamander is … Read more
If you don’t pay close attention when passing portions of the Pascagoula River drainage, you may not realize that these turtles are often basking and floating just below. The Pascagoula Map Turtle may be one such turtle, found in flowing water in southeastern Mississippi. They live in rivers and larger streams that are part of … Read more
For the first species in the spotlight for 2023, I decided to talk about one of the newest additions to biodiversity we know of in Mississippi. Desmognathus pascagoula, the Pascagoula Dusky Salamander, is the newest amphibian (described in 2022 by Pryon et al.) we know to inhabit Mississippi. This salamander was formerly a known as … Read more