Red-backed Salamander

Description:

This salamander was truly dirty - it even had dirt stuck to its eyeballs. It had a blackish brown body with an orange-red stripe down the middle of its back. It's belly was black and white. This salamander was about 8 cm long. The red-backed salamander exhibits color polymorphism with two common color variations - the 'red-backed' variety has a red dorsal stripe that tapers towards the tail and the 'lead-backed' variety lacks most or all of the red pigmentation. The red-backed phase is not always red, but may actually be various other colors (yellow-backed, orange-backed, or white-backed)

Habitat:

I found this salamander, along with a lead-backed color morph, under a log in a swampy, mixed forest. I gently handled it for the purpose of a science lesson, and then returned it to it's original location.