About Plethodon wehrlei Fowler & Dunn, 1917
Plethodon wehrlei, commonly known as Wehrle's salamander, has a bluish-black body with large, scattered white spots on its back. Its sides are covered in spots and blotches that range from white to yellow. The belly and ventral surface of the tail are solid gray, while the throat and upper chest usually have white or yellowish blotches. Adult individuals of this species reach a total length between 10 and 17 centimeters, or 3.9 to 6.7 inches. Geographically, Wehrle's salamander ranges from New York south to Virginia. Populations previously classified as this species in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina were reclassified as a separate species, the Blacksburg salamander (P. jacksoni), a reclassification that was confirmed by a 2019 study. An isolated cave-dwelling population in Virginia was also reclassified as a distinct species, the Dixie Caverns salamander (P. dixi), which was also reaffirmed in the 2019 study. The population on the Cumberland Plateau, once considered a yellow-spotted color morph of P. wehrlei, is now recognized as a new species, the yellow-spotted woodland salamander (P. pauleyi), described in the 2019 study. For behavior and habitat, this salamander stays under cover during the day, and emerges to forage at night. It inhabits forested hillsides in the Appalachian Plateau, where it hides during the day beneath stones or rocks. It is also found at cave entrances, in deep rock crevices, and in burrows under rocks and logs. Regarding reproduction, mating takes place from fall through spring. A large cluster of eggs is laid in early summer, placed in damp logs, soil, moss, or cave crevices. Reproduction occurs on a biennial or irregular schedule, with many mature females not breeding each year.
