Red-backed Salamander

Description:

I was mushroom hunting when I spotted this salamander resting on top of a cortinar mushroom. It had a blackish gray body with a red stripe down the middle of its back. This salamander was about 6-7cm long.

Habitat:

Resting on a cortinar mushroom (possibly Cortinarius iodes) in a deciduous forest.

Notes:

The red-backed salamander exhibits color polymorphism with two common color variations - the 'red-backed' variety has a red dorsal stripe and the 'lead-backed' variety lacks most or all of the red pigmentation.