West Virginia spring salamander

West Virginia spring salamander
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Family:	Plethodontidae
Genus:	Gyrinophilus
Species:	G. subterraneus
Binomial name
Gyrinophilus subterraneus Besharse & Holsinger, 1977

The West Virginia spring salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to West Virginia, the United States.

The salamander is only found in the General Davis Cave in Greenbrier County and lives in cave stream passages with large amounts of decaying organic matter. It is considered endangered.

General Davis Cave forms the downstream end of the 3.5 mi² Davis Hollow drainage basin. This cave has been purchased by The Nature Conservancy and is closed to the public in order to protect this salamander and a small bat colony.

References

• Salamanders of West Virginia by Thomas Pauley
• Culver, David. C, Kane, Thomas C, Fong, Daniel. 1995. Harvard University Press. "Adaptation and Natural Selection in Caves," the Evolution of Gammarus minus" ISBN 0-674-00425-6
• Jones, William K. Karst Waters Institute. 1997. "Karst Hydrology Atlas of West Virginia" ISBN 0-9640258-3-3

External links

• The Greenbrier River Watershed Association — for more information about the karstic biota of the region.
• The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia
• West Virginia Cave Conservancy A 501(c)3 Nonprofit dedicated to acquiring caves and the conservation and protection of caves within West Virginia.
• National Speleological Society — promoting interest in and to advance in any and all ways the study and science of speleology, the protection of caves and their natural contents, and to promote fellowship among those interested therein.