The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, found only in its namesake gorge southeast of Asheville, is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. With total population numbers in the low hundreds, scientists say these animals are in urgent need of protection.
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander under the Endangered Species Act in June 2022. On Jan. 24, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued 90-day findings stating that it will launch a formal species status assessment in order to discern over the next 12 months whether the salamanders warrant protection.
“There’s a lot of development encroaching upon their habitat — Lake Lure and that whole gorge are rapidly developing, and Highway 74 goes directly through their critical habitat,” said Will Harlan, the center’s Southeast director and senior scientist.
Harlan told the Citizen Times that Southern Appalachia, which he called “the salamander capital of the world,” is home to more species of salamanders than any other region on the planet. According to Harlan, the micro-endemic Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander could die out without urgent protection.