Episode Notes:     

It may be "the most numerous forest vertebrate" in many areas of the northeast, but the Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is rarely seen unless you're looking for it. In this episode, Steve and Bill hunt for some Redbacks while sharing recent research on its ecology. Give a listen, and hear the fascinating life history of this abundant but seldom seen forest denizen - and find out why Steve and Bill haven't posted an episode in three months!

     This episode takes place at the Kenneglenn Scenic and Nature Preserve in Wales, NY. The preserve is owned and managed by the Western NY Land Conservancy.

Photo credit: www.californiaherps.com

Further Reading:

For further reading on Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, the fungal pathogen that causes chytridiomycosis in salamanders, and chytridiomycosis in general, we highly recommend visiting our friends at AmphibiaWeb.

B. salamandrivorans (the fungal pathogen):
http://amphibiaweb.org/chytrid/Bsal.html

Chytridiomycosis (the infectious disease):
http://amphibiaweb.org/chytrid/chytridiomycosis.html

Works Cited:

Beebee, Trevor JC. "Effects of road mortality and mitigation measures on amphibian populations." Conservation Biology 27.4 (2013): 657-668.

Goff, Cory Benjamin. Effects of Roads and Trails on Peaks of Otter Salamander (Plethodon hubrichti) and Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) Movement Behavior. Diss. Marshall University, 2015.

Harris, Reid N., et al. "Addition of antifungal skin bacteria to salamanders ameliorates the effects of chytridiomycosis." Diseases of aquatic organisms 83.1 (2008): 11.

Kirkpatrick, Kathryn. "The Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon Cinereus, in a Suburban Environment." (2015).

Lauer, Antje, et al. "Common cutaneous bacteria from the eastern red-backed salamander can inhibit pathogenic fungi." Copeia 2007.3 (2007): 630-640.

Loudon, Andrew H., et al. "Microbial community dynamics and effect of environmental microbial reservoirs on red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus)." The ISME journal 8.4 (2014): 830-840.

Venesky, M. D., et al. "Morph‐specific differences in disease prevalence and pathogen‐induced mortality in a terrestrial polymorphic salamander." Journal of Zoology 295.4 (2015): 279-285.

Wood, Petra Bohall, and Jennifer M. Williams. "Terrestrial salamander abundance on reclaimed mountaintop removal mines." Wildlife Society Bulletin 37.4 (2013): 815-823.\