Shovelnose Salamander
Desmognathus marmoratus

Johnson City, Tennessee. May 22, 1998.
 

Back when we first found these critters, they were in the genus Leurognathus, but have since been put back into the larger group of Dusky Salamanders, in the genus Desmognathus.  Either way, this species was my first Smoky Mountain salamander, and it was exciting to find.  These are quick, alert creatures, living in and about the margins of the many streams that flow down and out of the mountains.

The second photo shows a habitat shot, with the rocky ledges above the waterline being places where several marmoratus were observed.  As it so often happens, we were on our way to somewhere else, and had stopped for a quick look at the stream flowing down the mountain.  We were richly rewarded for our troubles!