Pygmy Salamander
Desmognathus wrighti
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAmphibia (Amfibis)
- OrderCaudata (Caudats)
- FamilyPlethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders)
- GenusDesmognathus (Dusky Salamanders)
- SpeciesDesmognathus wrighti (Pygmy Salamander)
The pygmy salamander (Desmognathus wrighti) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States in the southern Appalachians in North Carolina and Tennessee. Desmognathus wrighti is a member of the family Plethodontidae and is commonly known as the pygmy salamander. As the name suggest the pygmy salamander is the smallest of the nineteen species in the genus Desmognathus. D. wrighti undergoes direct development and does not have a free-living larval stage. Only two other taxa in Desmognathus, D. aeneus and D. organi, exhibit direct development along with the pygmy salamander. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Salamander sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 195 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Seal Salamander
Desmognathus monticola
Imitator Salamander
Desmognathus imitator
Cherokee Mountain Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus adatsihi
Santeetlah Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus santeetlah
Spotted Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus conanti
Central Shovel-nosed Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus intermedius
Ocoee Salamander
Desmognathus ocoee
Carolina Mountain Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus carolinensis
Great Balsams Mountain Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus balsameus
Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea wilderae
Red-cheeked Salamander
Plethodon jordani
Spring Salamander
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Pygmy Salamander in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
About 28% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Salamander sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 195 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Pygmy Salamander in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Pygmy Salamander in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.