We Bet You Didn't Know That Tennessee Was Home To The Salamander Capital Of The World
By Meghan Kraft|Published February 18, 2022
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most-visited national park in the United States, and it welcomes over 12 million visitors a year. That’s a lot of people wandering the 800 miles of trails! The Smokies play host to tourist towns like Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, and you can drive through its natural beauty on scenic byways like the Newfound Gap. Of course, what folks may not know about the Great Smoky Mountains, is that it is home to one of the most diverse populations of salamanders on the globe. The “salamander capital of the world” is right here in Tennessee, and if you find yourself hiking through the Smokies you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled.
The Great Smoky Mountains has a stellar reputation as one of the most diverse natural areas in the United States. The park boasts a variety of ecosystems that welcome varied plant and animal life, and it feels like a different park when the seasons change. You may find yourself hiking through fields of wildflowers in May and along icicle-studded bluffs in December.
Of course, you won’t find salamanders along the rocky ridges of the mountains. No, you must look closer to the ground, at the mossy base of trees and in soft piles of leaves.
There are two key groups of amphibians found in the Great Smoky Mountains - salamanders and toads. Thirty species of salamanders naturally occur in the southern Appalachian region, which contributes to the "salamander capital of the world" moniker. There are also 14 species of frogs and toads.
You may hear salamanders referred to as "spring lizards" by the locals. Of course, lizards and salamanders are very different. Salamander skin is slimy and soft, usually moist, and potentially sticky. These little amphibians don’t have scales, which separates them from their reptilian lizard cousins. Lizards lay leather-like eggs, and salamanders lay eggs that are covered with a sticky, jelly-esque substance.
Amphibians are an animal group that is made up of frogs, salamanders, toads, and some types of worms. They are carnivorous, so the salamanders in the Great Smoky Mountains eat small insects. Amphibians love moisture and water, so if you’re seeking salamanders, you’ll find them near creeks and waterways. Make sure to peek at those small puddles after a rainstorm, too.
These quirky little creatures can be found all over the Smokies, and on any given day there are more salamanders in the park than humans. Southern Appalachia is teeming with these tiny creatures, but we’d recommend keeping your distance and giving them space. There’s no need to pick up a salamander, and none should be removed from the park.
Did you know that eastern Tennessee is home to such a strange capital? Have you seen salamanders in the Great Smoky Mountains? There’s nothing quite like a hike through the "salamander capital of the world" in the springtime, especially if you stay alert and search the moist creek beds for these neat little creatures.
What a wild fact about Tennessee! Most folks expect to find horses, squirrels, and the odd wolf and bear throughout the state, but salamanders are quite the find. You can learn more about amphibians in the Great Smoky Mountains on the official NPS website.
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