CLASS       AMPHIBIA

  Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander                                   Desmognathus ochrophaeus

                        Federal      Heritage      GRank        SRank       GRank                SRank

                        Status         Status                                                 (Simplified)         (Simplified)

                             N                 N                 G5               S4                   G5                        S4

    G-Trend        Unknown

    G-Trend        Upland areas - primarily mountainous regions - from New York southward into

    Comment      Tennessee (Conant and Collins 1991).  Occurs more or less continuously in

                          suitable habitat throughout the Cumberland Mountains in extreme southeastern

                          Kentucky; scattered populations occur elsewhere in eastern Kentucky; known

                          from a total of about 16 counties  (J.R. MacGregor Herpetology Maps 2004).

    S-Trend         Unknown

    S-Trend         Unknown rangewide; unknown but possibly declining in Kentucky due to the

    Comment      recent increase in mountaintop removal surface mining in the Cumberlands.  In

                          addition there seems to be an ongoing general Desmognathus decline in

                          northeastern Kentucky for which additional investigation and documentation is

                          needed.  The mountain dusky salamander is known historically from single sites

                           in Carter County and McCreary County and has not been seen at either of

                          these locations despite much searching over the past 20 years.  This species is

                          not tracked by Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission.

    Habitat /        Somewhat of a habitat specialist in Kentucky; the best habitat includes moist

    Life History  banks, streamheads, seeps, wet spots, and cool moist forests at the highest

                          elevations on Black Mountain and other high peaks in the Cumberlands. 

                          Elsewhere in eastern Kentucky the mountain dusky salamander is found in cool

                          mucky seeps and wet areas near waterfalls, or in close association with dripping

                           rock faces and wet crevices along shaded sandstone or shale cliffs (including

                          coal mine entrances).

    Key               Generally GOOD in the Cumberland Mountains, but only FAIR elsewhere in

    Habitat          eastern Kentucky; populations seem to be declining in the northeast.  The

                          Daniel Boone National Forest cliffline management policy will help maintain

                          habitat for populations that inhabit public lands in the Cliff Section of the

                          Cumberland Plateau. 

                          Following Key Habitats (good):

                          1. Harlan County - Black Mountain

                          2. Leslie County - Daniel Boone National Forest

    Guilds           caves, rock shelters, and clifflines, Cumberland highland forest, running water,

                          upland forest.

  CLASS       AMPHIBIA

  Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander                                   Desmognathus ochrophaeus

  Barking Treefrog                                                                                                 Hyla gratiosa

                        Federal      Heritage      GRank        SRank       GRank                SRank

                        Status         Status                                                 (Simplified)         (Simplified)

                             N                  S                 G5               S3                   G5                        S3

    G-Trend        Stable

    G-Trend        The barking treefrog is widespread in southeastern U.S. (Conant and Collins

    Comment      1991).  An isolated population at the northwestern edge of the range occurs in

                          the Western Pennyroyal Karst Plain (Woods et al. 2002) of Kentucky and

                          Tennessee including portions of 8 western Kentucky counties (Redmond and

                          Scott 1996, Kentucky State Nature Preserve Commission 2004, J.R.

                          MacGregor Herpetology Maps 2004).

    S-Trend         Stable

    S-Trend         Rangewide populations are apparently stable.  In our area, Kentucky State

    Comment      Nature Preserves Commission monitoring data shows recent records (1984-

                          2004) for all 8 known Kentucky counties.  Barking treefrogs breed rather

                          sporadically in seasonal and permanent ponds that are located primarily in open

                           agricultural habitats, and several years may pass in a given area between

                          breeding events.  It is quite difficult to track population trends accurately

                          within individual colonies.

    Habitat /        Adult barking treefrogs are generally found only in agricultural areas in

    Life History  Kentucky; most observations are for calling males or tadpoles at breeding

                          ponds.  A few adults can sometimes be found crossing wet roadways on rainy

                          evenings.  It is likely that most adults burrow into the soil and remain

                          underground for much of the year, but this remains to be demonstrated. 

                          Radiotracking studies are needed to determine the habitat requirements of the

                          adults.

    Key               Habitat condition overall is probably GOOD within its limited range in

    Habitat          Kentucky; the amount of cropland and pasture in this area seems to be

                          relatively stable with little or no imminent threat from development or urban

                          expansion. 

                          Following Key Habitats (good):

                          1. Caldwell County

                          2. Caldwell County

                          3. Logan County

    Guilds           grassland/agricultural, standing water.

  Barking Treefrog                                                                                                 Hyla gratiosa

  Conservation Issues

         Biological/ consumptive uses

              5F      Low population densities

              5H     Isolated populations (low gene flow)

              5K     Lack of suitable habitat for spawning, nesting, or breeding

         Miscellaneous Mortality Factors

              6G     Stochastic events (droughts, unusual weather, pine beetle damage, flooding

                        etc.).  Premature dry-up of breeding pools.

         Terrestrial habitat degradation

              3A     Row-crop agriculture (conversion to, annual reuse of fields, etc).  Habitat

                        loss (agriculture - breeding sites filled/graded).

              3F      Urban/residential development.  Fragmentation by highways/urbanization

                        (NatureServe 2004).

              3P      Pollution/toxicity (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, acid rain). 

                        Contamination by pesticides/herbicides.

              3R      Habitat and/or Population Fragmentation.  Fragmentation by

                        highways/urbanization (NatureServe 2004).

              3U     Loss, lack and degradation of special and unique microhabitats

  CLASS       AMPHIBIA

  Bird-voiced Treefrog                                                                                             Hyla avivoca

                        Federal      Heritage      GRank        SRank       GRank                SRank

                        Status         Status                                                 (Simplified)         (Simplified)

                             N                  S                 G5               S3                   G5                        S3

    G-Trend        Unknown

    G-Trend        The bird-voiced treefrog is widespread in southeastern U.S., extending

    Comment      northward along the Mississippi and lower Ohio River lowlands into western

                          Kentucky (Conant and Collins 1991).  This species occurs in about 15 counties

                          in the Jackson Purchase and Western Coal Field in western Kentucky

                          (Kentucky State Nature Preserve Commission 2004, Kentucky Herpetology

                          Database 2004, J.R. MacGregor herpetology Maps 2004).

    S-Trend         Decreasing

    S-Trend         The rangewide population trend is unknown but is probably stable.  The bird-

    Comment      voiced treefrog is uncommon to rare in Kentucky and may be declining; some

                          populations (e.g., those in Ballard County) have vanished since the 1960’s. 

                          Comprehensive survey work is needed in the state.  There are recent (1984-

                          2004) records from 14 counties (Kentucky State Nature Preserve Commission

                          2004; J.R. MacGregor data).

    Habitat /        Adults are largely arboreal and occur in and near cypress swamps, various

    Life History  swampy woodlands with some standing water, and bottomland hardwood

                          forests.  Calling males often perch above standing water in buttonbush or

                          tangled vines.  Tadpoles develop in warm shallow waters with emergent

                          vegetation (J.R. MacGregor).

    Key               Habitat condition overall is FAIR. 

    Habitat         

                          Following Key Habitats (good):

                          1. Hickman County

                          2. Hickman County

                          3. Caldwell County and Hopkins County

    Guilds           Emergent and shrub-dominated wetlands, forested wetland.

  Bird-voiced Treefrog                                                                                             Hyla avivoca

  Conservation Issues

         Terrestrial habitat degradation

              3A     Row-crop agriculture (conversion to, annual reuse of fields, etc). 

                        loss/conversion of bottomland hardwoods

              3F      Urban/residential development.  fragmentation by highways/urbanization

                        (NatureServe 2004)

              3K     Surface mining

              3R      Habitat and/or Population Fragmentation.  wetland fragmentation

                        (mining/agriculture), fragmentation by highways/urbanization (NatureServe

                        2004)

              3U     Loss, lack and degradation of special and unique microhabitats

  CLASS       AMPHIBIA

  Black Mountain Salamander                                                                Desmognathus welteri

                        Federal      Heritage      GRank        SRank       GRank                SRank

                        Status         Status                                                 (Simplified)         (Simplified)

                             N                 N                 G4               S4                   G4                        S4

    G-Trend        Unknown

    G-Trend        Nearly endemic to eastern Kentucky, extending into adjacent portions of West

    Comment      Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee (Conant and Collins 1991).  Historically

                          known from 29 counties in eastern Kentucky, primarily in the Cumberland,

                          Kentucky, and Licking River drainages; rare and local in the Little Sandy and

                          Big Sandy systems and apparently ranges no further north than Rowan, Elliott,

                          Floyd, and Pike counties (J.R. MacGregor Herpetology Maps 2004).

    S-Trend         Decreasing

    S-Trend         The Black Mountain salamander has been documented since 1984 in at least 20

    Comment      counties in eastern Kentucky.  Numbers are declining at numerous sites in

                          northeastern Kentucky in the Morehead/Laurel Creek Gorge area in Rowan and

                          Elliott counties and possibly in the Big South Fork area (McCreary County) as

                          well.  However, the species is regularly encountered in suitable habitat in Red

                          River Gorge and nearby, in the Cave Hollow area (Lee County), and on Black

                          Mountain (Harlan County).  This species is not tracked by Kentucky State

                          Nature Preserves Commission.

    Habitat /        The Black Mountain salamander is more of a habitat specialist than most

    Life History  Kentucky Desmognathus; it is largely a resident of clear high-gradient mountain

                          streams and is most common in rocky headwater creeks in cool moist forested

                          ravines on Black Mountain and other high peaks in the Cumberlands. 

                          Elsewhere in eastern Kentucky the Black Mountain salamander is primarily

                          found in shaded spring-fed streams.  This species is intolerant of silt; it is often

                          associated with small waterfalls and wet entrances to caves and abandoned coal

                          mines.

    Key               Habitat condition is generally GOOD in the Cumberland Mountains, but only

    Habitat          FAIR elsewhere in eastern Kentucky; populations seem to be declining in the

                          northeast.  The Daniel Boone National Forest cliffline management policy and

                          buffer strips to maintain forest cover along stream corridors will help maintain

                          habitat for populations that inhabit public lands in the Cliff Section of the

                          Cumberland Plateau. 

                          Following Key Habitats (good):

                          1. P