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Description: Blackbelly Salamanders are the largest
stream salamanders in the southeast, averaging 4-7 in (10-18
cm). They are robust, dark brown or black in color, and usually
have a double horizontal row of light spots on each side.
The belly is black in adults but sometimes flecked with
white or yellow markings in juveniles.
Range and Habitat: Blackbellies range throughout the southern
Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Tennessee at elevations
of 1,600 to 5,000 feet. They are common in small streams and seeps
that contain a lot of rocks, cobble, and cascades.
Habits: Blackbelly Salamanders are among the most aquatic
Desmognathine salamanders and seldom venture far from water. They
usually hide under rocks by day and hunt at night. As adults these
large salamanders are bold, and are sometimes found resting in
the open during the day. They are known to bite, although painlessly.
15-40 eggs are laid singly on the underside of rocks in spring
and early summer. Young hatch August to September and aquatic
larvae mature in 3.5 years.
Conservation Status: Blackbelly salamanders are common
in the areas they occur and are not listed by any state or the
federal government.
Pertinent References:
Camp, C. D. 1997. The status of the black-bellied salamander (Desmognathus
quadramaculatus) as a predator of heterospecific salamanders
in Appalachian streams. Journal of Herpetology, 31(4): 613-
616.
Rissler, L. J., D. R. Taylor. 2003. The Phylogenetics of desmognathine
salamander populations across the southern Appalachians. Molecular-Phylogenetics-and-Evolution,
27(2): 197-211.
Account Author: Matthew King, University of Georgia -
edited by J.D. Willson
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Comparison of adult blackbelly (left) and dwarf blackbelly (right) salamanders
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