Amphibians
Cheat Mountain Salamander
Plethodon nettingi · also called Cheat Mountain salamanders
High on an isolated ridge in West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, a Cheat Mountain salamander moves through damp spruce forest leaf litter found in only a handful of similar places anywhere on Earth. Step outside this narrow band of elevation and forest type, and the species simply isn’t there.
Overview
The Cheat Mountain salamander, Plethodon nettingi, is a lungless amphibian native exclusively to high-elevation forest within eastern West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. Its extraordinarily narrow natural range and dependence on specific forest conditions have earned it federal threatened status.
A species confined to a handful of ridgelines
Where many salamanders tolerate a range of forest types across broad regions, the Cheat Mountain salamander survives only within a specific elevation band on a small number of isolated ridges, leaving it with essentially nowhere else to go if conditions change.
Status
Vulnerable — federally threatened due to an extremely narrow natural range, competitive pressure, and ongoing habitat disturbance within its limited Allegheny Mountains distribution.
Cheat Mountain Salamander: common questions
How restricted is the Cheat Mountain salamander's range?
The Cheat Mountain salamander is restricted to a small number of isolated, high-elevation ridges within West Virginia's Allegheny Mountains, making its entire known global range remarkably narrow compared with most other salamander species, a restriction significant enough to earn the species federal threatened status in the United States.
Why does the Cheat Mountain salamander compete with the red-backed salamander?
The Cheat Mountain salamander faces competitive pressure in parts of its range from the more widespread red-backed salamander, a closely related species that can outcompete it for resources and territory where their ranges overlap, contributing to the Cheat Mountain salamander's already limited distribution.
Does the Cheat Mountain salamander need a pond to breed?
No, a Cheat Mountain salamander undergoes direct development, meaning its eggs hatch directly into small salamanders without passing through an aquatic larval stage, allowing the species to reproduce entirely within damp, high-elevation forest floor habitat rather than depending on streams or ponds.
Where does the Cheat Mountain salamander live?
The Cheat Mountain salamander is native exclusively to a limited area of high-elevation red spruce and northern hardwood forest within eastern West Virginia's Allegheny Mountains, a specific combination of elevation and forest type found only in a small number of isolated locations.