Researchers combed through Florida’s wetlands and came across a positive development: the reappearance of the many-lined salamander, a species that hasn’t been seen in the area for over 30 years.
The many-lined salamander is native to coastal areas from Virginia to northeast Florida, and the last sighting of the little amphibian was in 1991, according to the Miami Herald.
The outlet shared that a study in the Florida Field Naturalist by the Florida Ornithological Society found nearly two dozen of the “secretive” species in a survey of blackwater streams in North Florida wetlands from 2022 to 2024.
To find the salamanders, they had to employ clever techniques, including using bags full of leaf matter to simulate their preferred muckier environments. The salamanders would hide in the bags and could be easily counted by researchers.
“The species has long been considered rare in Florida and difficult to survey,” the researchers said in the paper, noting that while it is likely the species is rare in the region, it is still impacted by the changing climate and habitat loss.
“Species that occur on the periphery of their range are seldom prioritized for conservation action,” the authors said. “Still, many-lined salamanders are a unique component of Florida’s natural heritage.”
Salamanders are the most endangered amphibians on the planet, with one-third threatened with extinction, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. They’re vital for pest control, eating insects such as mosquitoes, and have a place in the food chain as prey for larger species.They also serve as an indicator of environmental health because of their permeable skin, which is vulnerable to drought and toxic substances.
The researchers in Florida partnered with scientists from North Carolina, where there was a recent positive development for the largest salamander species in the United States, the eastern hellbender, with a dam removal in the Watauga River. The removal will also allow more fish to travel through the area and improve water quality, boosting the environment.
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