Page

1

2

3

Appalachian Seal Salamander
Desmognathus monticola monticola
The Appalachian seal salamander has a robust body similar to its cousin, the northern dusky salamander. The tail makes up about half the total length of this salamander. The tail is compressed, and the tip is knife-edged on the upper side. The very tip of the tail is pointed. Although the body can be variably patterned, it is mainly light brown or grayish above with dark brown or black wavy streaks or reticulations that stand out markedly. Sometimes these markings take on the appearance of wormlike blotches and may be surrounded by paler areas. The belly is light and usually plain, although specimens may be found with blotches on the underside. The sides are dark above but lighter and speckled as they approach the belly line. There are 14 costal grooves on each side.

Mountain Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus ochrophaeus
The ground color, covering the sides and part of the back, is usually a dark color and can be almost anything ranging from gray to brown, olive to dark-yellow, and even darkish orange. A lighter stripe, bordered with a very dark, sometimes black pigment, runs the length of the body and onto the tail. This stripe can also be a variety of colors including orange, yellow, gray, tan or red. The stripe is wide, straight-edged and accented with dark vee-shaped marks. The face is marked with a light line extending from the eye to the jaw. The tail is slender and rounded. Each side has 14 costal grooves.

Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Eurycea bislineata bislineata
The primary color of this salamander is yellow, although it may be tinged with brown, green or orange-bronze. The back is nearly covered with a lighter stripe that runs the length of the body. This broad stripe is bordered with narrower black or dark-brown stripes that begin at the eyes and end on the tail where occasionally they break up into small spots. The belly is bright-yellow. There are 13 to 16 costal grooves on each side.

Longtail Salamander
Eurycea longicauda longicauda
Much longer than the body, the tail is slender but continues the color and pattern that begin on the head. This salamander is yellow to bright red-orange and is marked with contrasting black spots. The spots are heavier on the sides than they are across the back, and on the tail the spots may combine to form vertical bars. There are 13 or 14 costal grooves on each side.

Northern Spring Salamander
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus
The basic color is salmon, although variations occur through tints of reddish brown, yellowish brown or light orange. The back and sides sometimes have markings, and even then they are often nearly obscured, appearing as a very subdued mottling. The belly is lighter. A light line edged with black begins at the eye and extends downward to the nostril. Each side has 17 to 19 costal grooves.

Four-toed Salamander
Hemidactylium scutatum
Only four toes appear on each hind foot (most other salamanders have five toes). The belly is marked with large, bold black spots that stand out against an almost pure white. The back of the four-toed salamander is reddish brown to yellowish tan. Its sides tend to be gray. The thick tail is marked near its base with a constrictive ring, indicating the point at which it would separate. Each side has 12 to 14 costal grooves.

Redback Salamander
Plethodon cinereus
This lungless salamander is also known in a different phase as the leadback salamander. It is long and slender. The redback is marked with a broad stripe that begins at the head and flows down the back and over the upper part of the tail, where the stripe shrinks in width. The stripe is usually red, although it sometimes may appear orange, yellow, pink or light gray. The sides are black, and this color extends upward to form a straight-edged border on each side of the stripe. The leadback color phase ranges from a light gray to almost black. The solid color is shaded uniformly and does not have the colorful stripe along the back. A third color phase is found only occasionally. Marked with an unusual redness, it is referred to as an erythristic phase. The entire body, except for the belly, is red. Regardless of the color phase the belly is always mottled in a distinctive pattern of black and white. Each side has 18 to 20 costal grooves.

Slimy Salamander
Plethodon glutinosus glutinosus
The slimy salamander is black, with a shiny coat that is marked with whitish or silver-colored spots. The spots are larger on the sides, but smaller and scattered over the back and tail. The belly is slate-colored and unmarked. The chin and throat areas are dark gray. Each side has 16 costal grooves.

Wehrle’s Salamander
Plethodon wehrlei
The body of the Wehrle’s salamander is bluish gray to dark-brown or almost black. Irregular spots, often looking more like dash marks, appear on the sides. They are white or bluish white in most cases, but sometimes can appear yellow. The back occasionally is marked with very small flecks of a lighter color. The belly and the underside of the tail are evenly tinted in gray. The throat is white or at least blotched with white. There are about 17 costal grooves on each side.

Northern Red Salamander
Pseudotriton ruber ruber
Red is the primary body color. Even so, variations occur and it can be reddish brown to orange-brown. The adults tend to be darker than the young. The sides shade toward a lighter tone as they approach an even lighter belly. The back and the upper portion of the sides are dotted with many and irregularly shaped jet-black spots. Small dark spots may appear on the belly. Sixteen to 17 costal grooves mark each side.

Page

1

2

3

Source: PA Angler & Boater Magazine, provided by the PA Fish and Boat Commission