The Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) is a small, terrestrial salamander found exclusively in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The Shenandoah salamander inhabits a very small range of land on just three mountain peaks. Due to the small habitat range, interspecies competition, and climate change, the population of the Shenandoah salamander is vulnerable to extinction. Mitigating human effects on the habitat of the species will be essential in attempting to preserve and grow the population Description The adult Shenandoah salamander is slender and moderate in size, with a total length of 3.5 to 4.5 inches (7 cm - 10 cm). The species has two distinct color phases: striped and unstriped. The striped color phase has a narrow stripe down the center of its back that can range in color from red to yellow, while the unstriped color phase is uniformly dark with occasional scattered brass-colored flecks. In both color phases, white or yellow spots occur along the sides of the body. The Shenandoah salamander is similar in appearance to the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus). However, the two species can be distinguished in many ways. The stripe on the Shenandoah salamander takes up one-third of its dorsal area, while the stripe on the red-backed salamander is wider and takes up approximately two-thirds of the dorsal area. In addition, the Shenandoah salamander lacks the “salt and pepper” color pattern on its underside that is characteristic of P. cinereus, and has a slightly larger and more broadly rounded head. Shenandoah salamanders are members of the family Plethondontidae, the lungless salamanders that breathe through the surface of the skin. Due to the lack of lungs, successful respiration depends on the ability to maintain skin moisture, thus restricting body size and necessitating a moist environment such as forested areas. This species is chiefly nocturnal, hunting for food at night and taking cover in dark, damp locations like rock crevices and underneath logs during the day. Life history Like most woodland salamanders, the Shenandoah salamander eats mites, flies, small beetles, springtails, and other soil invertebrates. No direct observation of predation of the Shenandoah salamander has ever been reported, but potential predators residing within the habitat of the Shenandoah salamander include ring-necked snakes, short-tailed shrews, brown thrashers, and towhees. The Shenandoah salamander’s life history is not well understood, though adult salamanders have a high survival rate, some even reaching 25 years of age. Like many salamanders, the breeding