Four-toed Salamander

Hemidactylium scutatum

 

The Four-toed Salamander, Hemidactylium scutatum, is generally associated with sphagum. Boggy woodland ponds and sphagnaceous areas adjacent to woods are common habitats. This salamander is terrestrial as an adult, but the larvae are aquatic.

These salamanders are found from Nova Scotia west to Wisconsin and southeast to Oklahoma, and south to eastern Louisiana and the panhandle of Florida.

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Green Salamander

Aneides aeneus

 

Aneides aeneus, commonly known as the Green Salamander, is the only truly green salamander of our area. The Green Salamander resides in narrow crevices on rock faces. It prefers damp, but not wet, areas with high humidity. Protection from direct sunlight and rain are necessary. The flattened head and body are perfect adaptations for positioning itself in tight places such as under stones, logs, or loose bark.

The Green Salamander is found in the Appalachian region; southwestern Pennsylvania, extreme western Maryland, and southern Ohio to northern Alabama and extreme northeastern Mississippi. They are also found in a disjunct area in southwestern North Carolina and adjacent states; and isolated colonies exist in central Tennessee and northeastern West Virginia.

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Northern Spring Salamander

Gyrinophilus porphyriticus

 

Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, the Northern Spring Salamander, is commonly located near cool springs and mountain streams. They can generally be found in any wet depression beneath logs, stones, or leaves in surrounding forests.

The Northern Spring Salamander ranges from southwestern Maine and southern Quebec to northern Alabama and extreme northeastern Mississippi. 

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Northern Red Salamander

Pseudotriton ruber

 The Northern Red Salamander, Pseudotriton ruber, can be found under moss, stones, or other objects in or near springs or rills. Water should be clear, cool, and not stagnant. Streams in meadows or wooded areas are both appropriate accommodations. Bottoms of sand, gravel, or rock are generally preferred.

This species ranges from southern New York to northeastern Alabama. 

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Northern Two-lined Salamander

Eurycea bislineata

 Essentially a brookside salamander, Eurycea bislineata, will hide under any type of object at water's edge. The Northern Two-lined Salamander is easily alarmed and will rapidly swim or run away if it senses danger. Any saturated area is appropriate habitat such as those areas near springs or seeps. In warmer, wet weather it may venture into nearby woodlands.

This salamander inhabits an area spanning from southern Quebec to northern Virginia and west to Ontario and central Ohio.

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Long-tailed Salamander

Eurycea longicauda

 Another salamander of the genus Eurycea is Eurycea longicauda. More commonly known as the Long-tailed Salamander. A distinct characteristic of this species is its obviously long tail. Eurycea longicauda can be located under rotting logs, under stones, in shale banks near seepage areas, under rocks at streamside, and frequently in caves. In northern New Jersey, it can be found in ponds in the limestone belt.

This species has a range from southern New York to northern Alabama and southeastern Missouri. 

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Mountain Dusky Salamander

Desmognathus ochrophaeus

 The Mountain Dusky Salamander, Desmognathus ochrophaeus, is the most terrestrial of the Dusky Salamanders. Sometimes during wet weather, it will wander far out into woods. It can generally be found under stones, logs, leaves or other objects near springs or seepage areas. If found near streams, they will not be in the water but where the ground is saturated. In the winter they congregate in shale seepage area or near springs. They travel at night and may climb trees and shrubs while foraging.

The Mountain Dusky Salamander is found in upland areas form Adirondack Mountains, New York, to northern Georgia and northeastern Alabama. Occurs form a few hundred feet above sea level to the coniferous forests of the highest peaks of the southern Appalachians.

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Seal Salamander

Desmognathus monticola

 Desmognathus monticola, Seal Salamander, uses a variety of habitats. It commonly inhabits cool, well-shaded ravines and banks of mountain brooks. This salamander hides by day and can be discovered by overturning stones or bark. Sometimes can be seen in shady spots during the day.

It is called the Seal Salamander because at night, when illuminated by a flashlight, its posture suggests the appearance of a miniature seal.

The Seal Salamander occupies mountainous and hilly regions from southwestern Pennsylvania to Georgia and Alabama. A disjunct colony can be found in the hill country of southwestern Alabama.

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Northern Dusky Salamander

Desmognathus fuscus

 The Northern Dusky Salamander, Desmognathus fuscus, is abundant in brooks, near springs, and in seepage areas. It is most common along edges of small woodland streams where stones, chunks of wood, and other debris can provide shelter for both the salamander and its prey. This species seldom wanders far from running water.

Desmognathus fuscus ranges from southern New Brunswick and southern Quebec to southeastern Indiana and the Carolinas. There is sporadic distribution in the southern Appalachians.

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Red-backed Salamander

 Plethodon cinereus

 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

 Plethodon cinereus, Red-backed Salamander, is a terrestrial salamander. It occurs most commonly to wooded or forested areas. Hides under all types of objects, natural as well as man-made. On rainy evenings it will search for insects, even climbing plants if necessary.

This species can be found in the area spanning from southern Quebec and the Canadian Maritime Provinces to northeastern Minnesota; south to northern and eastern North Carolina.

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Northern Slimy Salamander

Plethodon glutinosus

 

The Northern Slimy Salamander is a subspecies of Plethodon glutinosus. These are the sticky salamanders whose skin-gland secretions cling to your hands like glue. The most common habitats are moist woodland ravines or hillsides.

The Northern Slimy Salamander has a range that spans from central New York south to northern Georgia and west to central Iowa. 

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Wehrle's Salamander

Plethodon wehrlei

 

Wehrle's Salamander, Plethodon wehrlei, was named for R.W. Wehrle or Indiana, PA, a natrualist who collected many of the specimens from which the species was first described.

Wehrle's Salamander is most commonly found in upland forests under stones, in rotting logs, in deep rock crevices or in the twilight zones of caves.

The range of this species is from extreme southwestern New York to most of West Virginia, and south to west-central Virginia and adjacent North Carolina.

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Ravine Salamander

Plethodon richmondi

 

 Plethodon richmondi, Ravine Salamander, resides in wooded slopes of valleys and ravines.

The range spans from western Pennsylvania to southeastern Indiana; south to northwestern North Carolina and adjacent Tennessee.

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Valley and Ridge Salamander 

Plethodon hoffmani

 

The Valley and Ridge Salamander, Plethodon hoffmani, is similar in appearance to the Ravine Salamander. The small Valley and Ridge Salamander lives beneath flat stones and other objects on forested hillside slopes. It can be found up to 1402 meters in elevation.

The range of the Valley and Ridge Salamander is mainly in the Valley and Ridge physiographic province from the Susquehnna River Valley in west-central Pennsylvania, south to the New River in Virginia and West Virginia. 

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