South Carolina Slimy Salamander

Range

This salamander is endemic to the Southern Coastal Plain Physiographic Province of South Carolina. Its range also includes far southeastern Georgia.

Habitats

The South Carolina salamanders thrive in thick damp woods with wood debris like bark scraps, fallen timber, and fallen foliage. They can also be found in mixed hardwood forests and longleaf pine savannas. The juveniles are found in pine bark around pine boles usually at the beginning of spring. Females deposit eggs under decaying logs. The salamander feeds on invertebrates especially insects.

Identification

This is a slender, medium-sized and lungless salamander with an average total length of 6.5 inches. The limbs are relatively short and the eyes are bulbous and black. It has a thick tail that tapers at the end. The background color is typically shiny black with dark-grey, light-grey, or silvery spots from the neck to the end of the tail. The skin of this salamander has a gland that secretes a sticky noxious slime that can be used to ward off predators. Juveniles are jet black and begin to develop flecks from the sides to the dorsum as they age.

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