to deposit their eggs in cavities under rocks, moss, decaying logs, leaf litter, springs, and behind vegetation or in other crevices. It is important to pick a spot with just enough moisture to avoid the desiccation and loss of eggs. Egg guarding After oviposition, maternal care for the clutch lasts for about 3 months, and ends after the eggs hatch into larvae. Maternal care during brooding includes defense against predators, removal of dead eggs, reduction of egg desiccation and fungal infections, and helping the hatchlings with cracking open their shells. If left unguarded, the eggs are in danger of being eaten by surrounding salamanders. Males do not provide resources to either the female or the offspring. Oophagy seems to be a normal behavior in brooding females, but is usually suppressed. In the case of limited foraging availability, disturbed or starved females may choose to eat their own eggs. This may also be done if the egg is dead—the female will eat the dead egg in order to remove it from the clutch before it infects other eggs around it. Fungal infections from dead eggs (if not removed in time) will usually lead to the embryos in viable eggs being smothered and killed. Larvae are smaller than in other subspecies, reaching around 8–10 mm at hatching. Upon hatching, D. ocoee larvae have short and silvery external gills, and they often have distinctive larval spots that other species do not have. The tails of the larvae are keeled and they narrow to a knife edge along the dorsal surface. Once out of the egg, the larvae quickly disperse to a nearby water source. During their development, they are found in shallow waters or in thin films of water, they feed on small aquatic invertebrates. In captivity, they can also eat worms. Usually, the larvae metamorphose into their adult form in the following few weeks, the time depending on the availability of food, other resources in the environment, and the temperature. Conservation status The ocoee salamander is one of the most common salamanders in the southern Appalachian Mountains. It is believed to have a large and stable population and much of its range lies in state parks or other protected areas. It faces few threats and is listed as being of "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. References External links Desmognathus Amphibians of the United States Endemic fauna of