Long-tailed Salamander

About the Long-tailed Salamander

Eurycea longicauda, commonly known as the long-tailed salamander or longtail salamander, is a species of lungless salamander native to the Appalachian Region and Ohio River valley of the eastern United States. It is a "cave salamander" that frequents twilight zones of caves and also inhabits springs and surrounding forest.

There are two or three subspecies: E. l. longicauda (Green, 1818) (long-tailed salamander, eastern long-tailed salamander) E. l. melanopleura (Cope, 1894 "1893") (dark-sided salamander, black-sided salamander, Cope's cave salamander)

E. l. pernix Mittleman, 1942 (Midland long-tailed salamander) Eurycea guttolineata has earlier been treated as a subspecies of Eurycea longicauda (that is, as E. l. guttolineata), but is now considered a full species. Body color varies from yellow to orange-red to red with random black spots. E. l. longicauda measure on average 50 mm (2.0 in) snout–vent length (SVL) and have 72 mm (2.8 in) long tail. E. l. melanopleura reproduces in November to February. The eggs measure 7 mm (0.28 in) in diameter. The larvae hatch in January–March at about 10 mm (0.39 in) snout–vent length (SVL)... Wikipedia →