Amphibians

 
A spotted salamander, brown with yellow spots, on a mossy rock.
Their homes exist in the shadows, often overlooked, yet their presence is vital to the foundation of our ecosystems. The National Park Service is dedicated to studying these species and preserving the critical habitats where they live. Pictured: a spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum).

NPS

 
Collage of two images: first image of a black-chinned red salamander, second image of an eastern fence lizard.
Salamander or lizard?
Salamanders have smooth and moist skin, and their eggs are encased in a clear jelly. Lizards have dry scaly skin, and their eggs are in a leathery shell.

Top: Shannon Welch / Bottom Warren Bielenberg

What's an Amphibian?

Amphibians are fascinating small vertebrate (backboned) animals known for their highly varied life cycles. The name "amphibian" is derived from Greek, meaning "both kinds of life," which perfectly describes their unique biphasic lifestyle—an ability to live on land and in water.

As a group, amphibians are classified as semi-aquatic including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and lesser-known caecilians. One of their defining characteristics is their ability to absorb water through their skin. Their unique skin structure, however, makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes, which is why they are often referred to as indicator species.

What’s on the Menu?

Adult amphibians and larval salamanders are primarily carnivorous, with many species using their tongues to capture small prey, while others rely on grasping their food with their jaws. Generally, amphibians will feed on any prey small enough to be consumed, including insects, small invertebrates, and occasionally even other amphibians. In contrast, frog and toad tadpoles are aquatic herbivores and scavengers, feeding on algae, aquatic plants, and decaying organic matter.

 

Amphibians in the Smokies

There are two major groups of amphibians that occur in the Smokies: salamanders (31 species) and frogs and toads (14 species). Species list available below.

The Salamander Capital

The Great Smoky Mountains are known as the "Salamander Capital of the World," showcasing an especially abundant and diverse group of these fascinating creatures. In fact, on any given day, salamanders represent the majority of vertebrate (backboned) animals by weight in the park, including human visitors. The park boasts more species of salamanders than any other location on Earth.

There are five families of salamanders represented in the park:

  • Cryptobranchidae

  • Proteidae

  • Salamandridae

  • Ambystomatidae

  • Plethodontidae

The southern Appalachian Mountains, serve as a primary center of evolution and diversity for the lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae family). The Smokies’ various habitats, elevation range, geologic age, and abundant streams, which are highly oxygenated, create the ideal conditions for salamander diversification. The park is home to 25 species of lungless salamanders, with 4 discovered between 2020 - 2024. As their name suggests, these salamanders lack lungs and "breathe" by exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide through the walls of tiny blood vessels in their skin, as well as in the linings of their mouths and throats. Lungless salamanders can be found throughout the Smokies, often in and along streams or hiding under rocks, logs, and leaf litter in the forests.

Remember: since many salamanders breathe through their skin, they should never be touched with bare hands, as the oils, pathogens, or other substances on our skin can be potentially fatal to them.

 
A wood frog sitting.
Wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus).

Bryce Wade

Frogs and Toads

Frogs and toads are tailless amphibians characterized by long hind legs that are adapted for jumping. They inhabit a variety of environments, but all species in the Smokies begin their life cycles in water as aquatic tadpoles. Frogs and toads can be distinguished from one another often by their skin, frogs' skin normally appears slick and moist while toads' skin is warty and bumpy, however this is not a perfect science, and a field guide can be much more helpful when identifying any amphibian.

A common frog species in the park is the wood frog, easily identifiable by the distinct dark markings over their eyes and their quack-like call. What makes the wood frog particularly unique is its adaptation to cold climates. These frogs have the ability to survive being frozen during the winter months, entering a state where they stop breathing and their hearts stop beating. To survive this freeze, their bodies produce a substance similar to antifreeze, which prevents ice from forming within their cells. When temperatures rise in the spring, the wood frog essentially thaws and resumes its normal activities.

 
Hellbender with eggs sign saying: thank you for not moving rocks, hellbenders live under rocks and lay eggs there. Not moving rocks protects this sensitive species. To protect aquatic species please don't build damns, stack rocks, or channelize.
Thank you for not moving rocks.

Jessica Snow

Why are Amphibians Important?

Amphibians are essential to both scientific research and ecosystem health. They play a critical role in pest management by consuming harmful insects, like agricultural pests and disease-carrying species like mosquitoes. Additionally, their unique biphasic lifestyle allows them to act as transporters of nutrients, moving vital resources from aquatic environments to terrestrial ecosystems.

Moreover, amphibians contribute to carbon cycling in forested areas. By preying on leaf-shredding arthropods, they help regulate the release of carbon dioxide that occurs when plant matter decomposes. Their abundant populations also support ecosystems in numerous ways, serving as a high-protein food source for various animals. Overall, amphibians play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and health.

Salamanders are known as indicator species. Indicator species are organisms that help scientists assess the health of an environment. Because salamanders require very specific conditions for survival, their presence—or absence—can provide insights into the health of an ecosystem.

While humans benefit from healthy populations of amphibians, these creatures are facing a downward trend. Research indicates that over 40% of amphibian species are globally threatened with extinction and are the most threatened class of vertebrates worldwide. Protected areas, like national parks, play a huge role in their conservation efforts. In fact, at least 65% of known amphibian species in the US are found in national parks according to a study by npj Biodiversity.

 
A view from the underside of a bioluminescent salamander which is lighting up bright green.
Biofluorescence found in the southern gray-cheeked salamander (Plethodon metcalfi).

Jonathan Cox

Research in the Park

Amphibians, particularly salamanders, are a significant focus of study in the Smokies, attracting researchers from universities nationwide. Between 2020 - 2024, two new-to-science salamander species were discovered within the park's boundaries, with the potential for more discoveries in the future.

Researchers are examining the complex effects of various environmental factors on salamander populations. Their studies include:

1. Impact of Severe Fires: Investigating how catastrophic fires affect woodland salamanders.

2. Biofluorescence: Exploring the phenomenon of biofluorescence in salamanders.

3. Herbicide Exposure: Assessing the effects of herbicides on salamander populations.

In addition, National Park Service biologists and park partners are actively studying specific species. Recent efforts have concentrated on:

1. Spotted Dusky Salamanders: Understanding the diversity and distribution of these small but abundant salamanders.

2. Eastern Hellbender: Monitoring population trends of this imperiled species.

The collaborative efforts of park biologists and researchers have given critical insights and data to the scientific world. The discoveries made in the Smokies are essential for conservation strategies aimed at preserving salamander populations across the globe.

 

The Salamander Gallery

 
A Blue Ridge spring salamander. This salamander is orange in color with small flecks of black throughout.
Blue Ridge spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus danielsi)

Kenzie Connor

Jordan's Salamander sitting on moss. This salamander is black throughout with a slightly paler belly. It also has red on its cheeks.
Jordan's salamander (Plethodon jordani): a special species only found in and around the Smokies.

Bryce Wade

An eastern hellbender sitting at the bottom of a rocky stream. This salamander is dark brown and large.
Eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis): the largest salamander in the park reaching lengths over two feet!

Gibson

A pigmy salamander on a rock. This salamander has a gradient brown look with its tail lighter than its head.
Pigmy salamander (Desmognathus wrighti): the smallest species of salamander in the park.

Todd Pierson

A marbled salamander on leaf litter. This salamander is marbled black and white.
Marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum)

Todd Pierson

A Blue Ridge two-lined salamander on a log. This salamander is yellow-brown and has two black lines down its body, between those lines are dots.
Blue Ridge two-lined salamander (Eurycea wilderae)

Kenzie Connor

A Cherokee black-bellied salamander on a mossy rock. This salamander is dark in color.
Cherokee black-bellied salamander (Desmognathus gvnigeusgwotli): a special species only found in the Smokies.

Bryce Wade

A green salamander on a rock. This salamander has a brown and green marbled look.
Green Salamander (Aneides aeneus): This species has not been seen in the park for nearly 100 years.

Todd Pierson

A red-spotted newt on a mossy log with a black backdrop. This salamander is a red-orange color with a few small black circles on its body.
Red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens): a juvenile eft of this species.

Todd Pierson

A spotted salamander on the forest floor. This salamander is mostly dark brown with a paler belly and has large yellow spots
Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

Todd Pierson

A southern redback salamander on a leaf and rock. The salamander is a brown color with an orange-red stripe down its back.
Southern redback salamander (Plethodon serratus)

Todd Pierson

A seal salamander on a orange leaf. The salamander is a grey-brown color.
Seal salamander (Desmognathus monticola).

Todd Pierson

A black-chinned red salamander on a mossy rock. The salamander is mostly red-orange with small black dots throughout and a black chin.
Black-chinned red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber schencki)

Shannon Welch

 

Recommended Reading

 
Books, maps and guides to the national park are available online from the park's nonprofit partner, the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Smokies
The Smokies are the Salamander Capital of the World. This up-to-date full-color field guide covers 30 species, plus frogs, turtles, snakes, and more. 84 color photos in all, making it easy to identify salamanders, skinks, and other creatures.

 

Species List

 

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Last updated: May 1, 2025

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