When we think of traditions, we usually talk about practices that have lasted for decades or even generations. Think of a favorite meal shared with family and friends to celebrate an event. Perhaps there’s a special holiday decoration that’s been passed down through the family.
But we usually don’t think about traditions lasting 10–12 million years. That’s how long the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander has been living out its routine in western North Carolina.
“The green specks on the black body, when I first saw it, I was amazed; it’s so beautiful and so rare,” biologist JJ Apodaca, Ph.D., told Sci NC. Apodaca, the executive director of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy, discovered the salamander species in 2019. “It takes a long time to find them because there are so few salamanders, and they hide really well.”
The Hickory Nut Gorge is a 14-mile-long, 20,000-acre canyon in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The salamanders that call it home are only found in that area, hence the name. They are also arboreal (meaning they live in trees). And for millions of years, they have nested and overwintered in moist, deep crevices and caves on cliff faces and rocky ridges within shady old-growth hardwood forests. It’s a pretty smart adaptation because it means they can escape tough winters.
The salamanders emerge in early spring to climb to the tops of the trees, hang out in the sun and eat insects. In July, females return to rock crevices to build nests. The males stay in the tree canopy until late fall.
That’s when Helene slammed into the gorge.
After the storm drenched the area with 20+ inches of rainfall over three days in September 2024, the region’s hillsides gave way to landslides. In addition, high winds toppled thousands of trees. It was one of the most devastating weather events to hit the area.
Not only is the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander beautiful, but it’s also classified as “micro-endemic.” A species is considered endemic if it is only found in specific areas and nowhere else on Earth. Apodaca, who studies a variety of creatures, says North Carolina is home to 42 endemic and near-endemic plants and about 20 endemic animals.
But the little critter we’re focused on is even more rare because its distribution is really small. Scientists believe there are fewer than 25 populations in the gorge. That’s only about 200–500 salamanders in all.
The salamanders were already impacted by development, poaching, tourism, disease and climate change. After Helene hit, biologists used satellite imagery to make an initial assessment of the gorge and discovered catastrophic damage to the salamander habitat. Landslides and impassable roads made field work impossible.
“We hope to get into the gorge to search for salamanders as soon as possible,” said Apodaca. “I fear there is so much damage and so many salamanders were killed that this species could be lost. But if we can find a few and capture them, I’m working with the North Carolina Zoo on a captive breeding program that would allow us, after a time, to return the salamanders to the gorge and save the population.”
To meet another newly discovered NC salamander species, watch this Sci NC video.
North Carolina has more salamanders than anywhere else in the United State. Now's there's one more to add to the list. New genetic technology has finally confirmed the Carolina Sandhills Salamander is a unique species.