Louisville can claim its fair share of unique "firsts" and "greatests": the first high five, the first cheeseburger, and, of course, the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali. As of ... (click for more)

Louisville can claim its fair share of unique "firsts" and "greatests": the first high five, the first cheeseburger, and, of course, the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali. As of April 1st, 2015, our fine city can add one more first to the list - Germantown's Gnadinger Park is officially a Global Biodiversity Hotspot as the home of the first breeding pair of Slooflirpa Salamanders (Pseudotriton stultiiocus) ever seen, among a bevy of other rare species. A close relative of the Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber), the Slooflirpa is the first new species of salamander discovered in Kentucky in more than 50 years. Home to nearly 15% of the world’s salamander species, the Appalachian region of the US is a biodiversity hotspot for the amphibians, in addition to being an area of rich biodiversity in general.

Local resident, Anita Tenjen, discovered a breeding pair of the extremely rare salamanders during a run through the park in early March. “I’d jogged about half way around the park and decided to take a quick rest on a bench near the west end of the park. As soon as I sat down, I saw something dart under the bench. I got down to see what it was and found a small family of salamanders hidden behind of one of the legs of the bench. Totally unlike anything I’d ever seen - so colorful! It looked like someone had spilled a packet of Skittles or something...but it was little salamanders. I told my fiance, who teaches biology at UofL, and we called the US Fish and Wildlife service. Within a week, they told me that I’d actually discovered a new salamander species. I was totally blown away. Of course, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Once they took a hard look at the park, the Fish and Wildlife scientists started uncovering one rare species after another.”

Metro Parks recognizes that they will need to walk a fine line in their efforts to protect the veritable treasure trove of newly-discovered endemic species in the park. Said Metro Parks spokesperson Grace Quirrell, “It’s important to balance the many uses of this spectacular and well-loved park with the protection of its incredible flora and fauna. Given the park’s acreage, we’ll have to start small with one section of the park, but over time we hope to raise the funds necessary to fully restore a habitat throughout the entire park capable of sustainably supporting such a wide array of biodiversity, perhaps even fund a docent or two to give guided tours of this unmatched biological treasure."

In addition to the salamanders, other extremely rare finds include a dozen new species of lichen, an entirely new subspecies of head lice, a presumed-extinct variety of bed bugs, two 31-year-old Germantown hipsters completely without facial hair, a 45-year old woman who did not tried to get Prince tickets in March, three residents demanding more downtown bridge construction, and Kanye West's humility. “What such a dazzling collection of rare creatures is doing in this park is anyone’s guess,” says Quirrell.

If you’re heading to Gnadinger Park to see the elusive salamanders and other species, there are a few things to keep in mind. Visitors to the park are more likely to find the salamanders and lichen at higher elevations on north facing slopes in the west end of the park...and bedbugs, lice, and assorted rare humans near a puddle of beer by that big tree in the middle. The best times to see the salamanders are shortly after dawn or just before sunset. Most of the other rare species can be seen any night Nachbar is open until 4am - so, then, basically every night. Park visitors encountering the new fauna are asked to look but not touch, since contact with the hipsters or disturbing the habitat of the bridge construction fans can negatively affect breeding. Finally, runners or cyclists are also asked to use extra caution when biking or running along the park’s trail system, as Kanye West's humility has been run over twice just in the last week. Use of the park’s northeast hills as a spring concert venue will be postponed until a full environmental impact study can be completed.

Ms. Quirrell is cautiously optimistic about long-term conservation efforts and says the first phase of habitat restoration should be completed before May. "For the salamanders and other creatures, we want this to be a happy April. Fools day-tripping in the park will have to be a little more careful from now on. Hey, got any nuts?”

- by Megan Iddup