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Red-backed Salamander

Plethodon cinereus

Description:

Small, very thin, hardy, common, woodland salamander. Adults range in size 4.8 - 12.7 cm (2.3 - 5 inches). Salamander shown: 3.25 inches (8.25 cm). Black bodies with white speckles and red stripe down middle of back. Unlike most salamanders, these do not spend any part of their lives in the water. They do not have lungs, but breathe thru skin. Food: insects and spiders. Mostly nocturnal.

Habitat:

Woodlands, gardens, even driveways. Found under rocks, logs, or dead leaves. Helpful to soil by digging tunnels.

Notes:

Light rain and mild temperature of 42 degrees brought 3 salamanders out of the cracks of the driveway near woodlands. (White spots are flash related issues.) This salamander had more red/orange stripe than most of the nearly 15 of these type of salamanders I have seen over the past year.

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9 Comments

Carol Snow Milne
Carol Snow Milne 11 years ago

Thank you friends for your continued support of my nature photography. You know I am a Moth-er first. LOL (But salamanders are cool too.)

AshleyT
AshleyT 11 years ago

Beautiful little guy! I especially love photo 2 :)

GarrisonPiel
GarrisonPiel 11 years ago

Your photos are always amazing

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 11 years ago

cute!

Dan Doucette
Dan Doucette 11 years ago

Nice! These are hard to photograph. You must have been surprised to see this in January!

Carol Milne
Carol Milne 11 years ago

Thanks Lisa. I tried to get every angle since Sally was being cooperative. I tried to pick her up to get a photo of the belly, but she was too wiggly plus really small to handle.

LisaPowers
LisaPowers 11 years ago

Beautiful series! And you know how much I adore sallies!

Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 11 years ago

Fantastic, Carol! I love these little ones!

YukoChartraw
YukoChartraw 11 years ago

What a cutie!

Carol Snow Milne
Spotted by
Carol Snow Milne

penna, USA

Spotted on Jan 29, 2013
Submitted on Jan 30, 2013

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