Western Slimy Salamander

Description:

One of my favorite things to do on nature hikes is pick through wood piles and moist mossy hides to find salamanders. This is the western slimy salamander and that's the best way to find them. Usually nocturnal and hiding under rocks or moist wood litter. They lay their eggs in hidden moist locations and interestingly enough have no aquatic larval stage, their babies are just tiny versions of them.

Habitat:

Found in the four state area of Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas. Another distinct population can be found in south-central Texas.