Head to head
Kiamichi Slimy Salamander vs Sequoyah Slimy Salamander
The Kiamichi slimy salamander and Sequoyah slimy salamander are two of several species carved out of the once broadly defined slimy salamander complex, each occupying its own patch of the Ozark and Ouachita highlands with almost no visible differences between them.
| Kiamichi Slimy Salamander | Sequoyah Slimy Salamander | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Plethodon kiamichi | Plethodon sequoyah |
| How to tell apart | Range and genetics, not appearance | Range and genetics, not appearance |
| Range centre | Kiamichi Mountains, Ouachita range | Ozark/Ouachita highlands, historical Cherokee homeland |
| Body pattern | Dark, glossy, scattered light flecking | Dark, glossy, scattered light flecking |
| Named after | The Kiamichi Mountains | Cherokee scholar Sequoyah |
| Habitat | Forest | Forest |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Diet | Insectivore | Insectivore |
Kiamichi Slimy Salamander vs Sequoyah Slimy Salamander: common questions
Can you tell a Kiamichi slimy salamander from a Sequoyah slimy salamander by looking at it?
Not reliably. Both species share the same dark, glossy body with scattered light flecking typical of the broader slimy salamander complex they were split from, and the distinction between them is based on genetic differences and range rather than any visible physical trait, so location is the most practical way to know which one you are looking at.
Why are there so many similar-looking slimy salamander species?
What was once treated as a single, widespread slimy salamander species has been split into many separate species based on genetic studies revealing deep divergence between populations in different mountain ranges, even though those populations often look essentially identical, a pattern the Kiamichi and Sequoyah slimy salamanders both exemplify.
Where does the Sequoyah slimy salamander get its name?
This species is named after Sequoyah, the Cherokee scholar who devised a writing system for the Cherokee language, a naming choice reflecting how the salamander's range overlaps the historical Cherokee homeland in the Ozark and Ouachita highlands, unlike the Kiamichi slimy salamander, which is instead named directly after its home mountain range.