Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus
(Cope, 1869)
Cocke Co., Tennessee. March 13, 1999.
“Where in the world were we? Not far uphill from the Pigeon River, on a trail alongside a small creek, where water seeped from the muddy, mossy hillside. A description to fit a thousand spots in the Smoky Mountains. Under a muddy stone, this creature, its colors and textures seemingly unnatural. I managed a few photos as the afternoon’s dim light grew dim. Down in the creek below the seep, the larvae of this species hide under stones and logs, feeding on aquatic insects, and the larvae of other salamanders. When the larvae mature, they leave the stream and crawl up to the seep, and continue their predations on other types of salamanders along with terrestrial insects.”
From The Great Salamander Swing
My Flickr album for this species is here.
HerpMapper records for this species are here.
