Introduction & Overview

The state of Ohio is home to 25 species of salamanders. Of these, 10 species utilize flowing water (lotic) habitats for depositing of eggs and the development of their larvae. Many of these species also spend all or a considerable portion of their adult life within the water or immediately adjacent to these areas. Flowing water habitats in Ohio that may be utilized by salamanders include streams (especially primary headwater and headwater streams), creeks, springs, seeps, and rivers.

This guide has been developed to create a standardized protocol for the surveying and monitoring of salamander species in Ohio that are found within small streams and creeks. Much of the protocol has been modeled after the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Field Evaluation Manual for Ohio’s Primary Headwater Habitat Streams (EPA 2002). The protocol includes the capture of larval and adult salamanders in mesh leaf packs that are placed into the stream two weeks prior to being sampled. Captured salamander larvae are assigned to a “morpho-species,” and a voucher of each type is preserved and sent to the survey coordinator for identification and to be cataloged into a museum collection.

Target Species

The stream-dwelling salamander monitoring protocol is designed to monitor the following Ohio salamanders:

1. Streamside Salamander (Ambystoma barbouri),
2. Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus f. fuscus),
3. Mountain Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus),
4. Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata ssp.),
5. Long-tailed Salamander (Eurycea l. longicauda),
6. Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus ssp.),
7. Midland Mud Salamander (Pseudotriton montanus diastictus),
8. Northern Red Salamander (Pseudotriton r. ruber)

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