Red Salamander

About the Red Salamander

The red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) endemic to the Eastern United States. Its skin is brown, orange or red with random black spots. Semiaquatic adults and aquatic larvae live in temperate forests, small creeks, bogs, ponds, intermittent streams, and freshwater springs. Overall this species is common and widespread, but locally it has declined because of habitat loss and it is considered threatened in Indiana and New York. Red salamanders eat insects, earthworms, spiders, small crustaceans, snails, and smaller salamanders. To eat, they extend their tongue to capture prey on the tip of it and retract it back into their mouths. The red salamander, as a member of the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) lacks lungs and respires through its skin.

The Pseudotriton ruber is a medium-large salamander, with adults ranging from 4.3 to 7.1 in (11–18 cm) in total length. It has a relatively stout body with 16–18 coastal grooved sides. Its back varies in color from an orange-brownish tint to a bright red, depending on its age. Like other salamanders, the red salamander seems to lose its... Wikipedia →