Amphibians
Kiamichi Slimy Salamander
Plethodon kiamichi · also called Kiamichi slimy salamanders
Beneath a log within the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma, a Kiamichi slimy salamander sits nearly indistinguishable from a dozen other species that once shared its name, until genetic study revealed this one mountain range’s population as its own genuinely distinct species.
Overview
The Kiamichi slimy salamander, Plethodon kiamichi, is a lungless amphibian native to forested mountain habitat within the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. Its recent split from the broader slimy salamander species complex, sticky defensive skin secretion, and glossy black body flecked with white make it a representative example of just how much hidden species diversity modern genetic study has revealed within a single old, familiar name.
One species that turned out to be many
What field biologists spent decades treating as a single widespread slimy salamander turned out, under genetic scrutiny, to be a whole collection of separate species, with the Kiamichi slimy salamander representing the specific mountain-range piece of that puzzle in southeastern Oklahoma.
Status
Least Concern — present and generally stable across suitable forested mountain habitat within the Kiamichi Mountains, though its naturally narrow range leaves it more exposed to localised disturbance than more widespread relatives.
Kiamichi Slimy Salamander: common questions
Why was the Kiamichi slimy salamander only recently recognised as its own species?
This species was formally split off from a much broader, historically defined slimy salamander complex following genetic studies that revealed the group actually contained more than a dozen distinct species across the southeastern and south-central United States, each looking extremely similar to the others despite being genetically separate.
Where is the Kiamichi slimy salamander found?
This species is known specifically from the Kiamichi Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma and immediately adjacent areas, a naturally narrow mountain range that gives the species its common name and represents essentially its entire known global distribution.
How can you identify a Kiamichi slimy salamander?
Look for scattered white or brassy flecks across an otherwise glossy black body, a pattern shared broadly across the wider slimy salamander group, meaning that confirming this specific species depends heavily on knowing it was found specifically within the Kiamichi Mountains rather than on any unique visual feature.
Why is it called the slimy salamander?
This species produces a notably sticky skin secretion when handled or threatened, a defence shared with other members of the slimy salamander group that can be genuinely difficult to wash off the hands and is thought to deter many potential predators from attempting a repeat attack.