LAKE LURE, N.C. — A North Carolina salamander that exists only in a river gorge outside of Asheville is on the verge of extinction, with only a few hundred of them left on earth, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said Wednesday.
In 2022, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition for the FWS to list the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander under the Endangered Species Act. On Wednesday, the FWS announced that the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander is under formal consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The agency has 12 months to determine whether or not to protect the salamander.
The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander only exists in the Hickory Nut Gorge, nested inside the Blue Ridge Mountains 18 miles south of Asheville. This area is being rapidly developed, leading to steep declines in the salamanders' populations over the last 20 years.
Now, only a few hundred of these salamanders exist on Earth, according to estimates by scientists.
“These salamanders are clinging to survival, and this decision is a good first step toward protecting an important part of North Carolina’s natural heritage,” Center for Biological Diversity Senior Scientist Will Harlan said. “I hope the Fish and Wildlife Service moves quickly to give these remarkable creatures the protections they need. Without quick action, they’ll vanish forever.”
If the salamanders gain full protection under the act, their habitat will be safeguarded and a federal plan will be established to help restore their populations.
Hickory Nut Gorge green salamanders use their unique markings as camouflage and spend the majority of their lives in trees and rock outcrops.
“Losing the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander would be heartbreaking,” Harlan said. “We can save this salamander, but we need to act now.”