First State Record of the Northern Two

First State Record of the
Northern Two-lined Salamander
in Michigan
February 20, 2009
Nicole Soderberg
Kimberly Balash
Teresa Yoder
Ernest Szuch
Overview



Murphy Lake State Game Area (MLSGA)
Unique herpetofauna of MLSGA
Northern Two-lined Salamander
natural history
 results of 2008 field season


Molecular genetics
Murphy Lake State Game Area


Tuscola county
East of Millington
Murphy Lake
State Game Area
(MLSGA)
Millington
Created by Teresa Yoder
Created by Teresa Yoder
MLSGA

10.7 km2 of habitat islands


surrounded by agriculture
Hemlock-Northern Hardwoods community
MLSGA

Topography influenced by glaciers


end-moraine ridges
pitted outwash plains

kettle ponds
Unique Herpetofauna of MLSGA

3 species in MI known only to occur in MLSGA



Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata)
Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
Unique Herpetofauna of MLSGA
Photo taken by James Harding

Six-lined Racerunner
(Aspidoscelis sexlineata)
Photo taken by James Harding
Photo taken by Teresa Yoder
Unique Herpetofauna of MLSGA

Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)
Carlson (Yoder) and Szuch (2005)
Unique Herpetofauna of MLSGA

Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
Soderberg, Szuch, and Yoder (In Press)
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Identification
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Distribution
Conant and Collins 1998
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Adult habitat
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Adult habitat
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Breeding
Photo taken by Teresa Yoder
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Breeding habitat
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Breeding habitat
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Nest
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Nest-guarding
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Larvae
Photo taken by James Harding
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Larvae habitat
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Voucher
Northern Two-lined Salamander
(Eurycea bislineata)

Voucher

voucher number: UMMZ 239001
May 24

Gravid female
Nest
 Nest-guarding female

July

July 4
TOTAL

Larvae
Voucher
~ 16 adults
 > 20 larvae

Photo by James Harding
April 12
Photo by Teresa Yoder
Results of 2008 field season (April – October)
Introduced or Native?

Six-lined Racerunner

recent research points to
native
Conant and Collins 1998
Introduced or Native?

Six-lined Racerunner


recent research points to
native
Northern Dusky
Salamander?
Conant and Collins 1998
Introduced or Native?

Six-lined Racerunner

recent research points to
native

Northern Dusky
Salamander?

Northern Two-lined
Salamander?
Conant and Collins 1998
Molecular Genetics

Tissue collection
Molecular Genetics




Extract DNA
PCR to amplify mitochondrial ND2 gene
Sequence ND2 gene
Phylogenetic analysis
Current and Future Research

Natural history
Stream surveys
Fluorescent powder tracking
Molecular work

Introduced or native?




treat as native unless evidence shows otherwise
Acknowledgements

I thank Dr. Ann Sturtevant for providing guidance and support

I thank Matthew Chatfield , Nickole Hatley and Kara Pattison for their
help and advice

I thank James Harding of MSU for identification of the original Eurycea
bislineata individual

I thank Gregory Schneider of UMMZ for identification and deposition of
the Eurycea bislineata voucher

Approval of protocol #10098 was given by UCUCA

Land use permits to use state property for this research were issued by
Cass City office of DNR
Questions?