Ringed Salamander

Range

Range stretches from eastern Oklahoma through northwestern Arkansas, and from southwestern through east-central Missouri.

Habitats

This mole salamander spends much of its time underground in damp hardwood or mixed hardwood-pine forest habitats. It will sometimes be found under leaf litter or rotting logs near ponds.

Identification

A chubby salamander with a somewhat long neck, and a very short, rounded snout. It has well-developed legs with long toes, and it's named for the yellow or white cross-bands along its dorsal surfaces, including one between its eyes. These bands look like rings, but they do not extend onto the ventrum. It has a dorsal background color of chocolate brown to black, and its ventrum is light grey to yellow with pale spots. Its tail is mildly laterally compressed, and can be equal in length or slightly longer than its body. Adults average 14-18 cm in snout to vent length.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians