Eastern Red-backed Salamander

Plethodon cinereus

Reptiles & Amphibians5.7 to 12.7 cmIn the app

At 6-10 centimeters in length, it is a small and prevalent species of salamander in its range. They are slender, with a tail nearly as long as the rest of their body. The…

Eastern Red-backed Salamander illustration

How to identify

At 6-10 centimeters in length, it is a small and prevalent species of salamander in its range. They are slender, with a tail nearly as long as the rest of their body. Their scrawny front and back legs are set far apart, and located on the sides of their body. They cannot stand upright on their legs, but use them to wriggle along while staying flat on the ground. Their eyes are relatively large and bulging in comparison to their head size.

Range

This species can be found throughout the northeastern United States and into southeastern Canada along the US border. Range boundaries are from Wisconsin in the west, to Nova Scotia in the east, and North Carolina in the south.

Habitat

The red-backed salamander prefers cool, damp, wooded environments. It is terrestrial and will be found living in and under logs, leaves, rocks, and other natural debris on the forest floor. In areas where they are numerous, they may be found in more urban areas such as parks and gardens.

Variations

It typically occurs in one of two color variations; one having a distinctive brownish-red stripe down its back and tail, for which it was named; the other lacking the red stripe, known as the "lead phase" salamander. Both variations are dark grey with white flecks on their ventral surface, sides, and head. The lead phase is mostly dark grey on its back, with fewer white flecks. Less common color patterns include yellow, orange, or white dorsal stripes, as well as a color morph which has a completely red body.

Similar species

This species is most a akin to the southern red-backed salamander (Plethodon serratus), which has several distinct, patchy ranges in the southeastern United States. Their physical appearances are comparable, and the southern red-backed salamander was once classified as a subspecies of the northern red-backed salamander. The western red-backed salamander (Plethodon vehiculum) also looks analogous, but is only found in the pacific northwest. Other species in the Plethodon genus are similar to the red-backed salamander in shape and size, and can be found in like habitats, but their color patterns are significantly different.