Jul 19, 2012


By Lorraine Julien

The Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a fairly common salamander that lives in and around forested areas throughout most of eastern North America. In fact, North America has more kinds of salamanders (the group that includes newts) than all the other continents. Salamanders, in general, look a lot like lizards but their skin is thin and moist whereas lizards have hard scales or plates.

You’ll know this salamander by its characteristic red stripe, which begins immediately behind the head and extends nearly to the tip of its tail. The wide red stripe usually covers the entire back but, in some populations, the red colour of the stripe is replaced by dark gray. This is called the lead backed phase. Males and females look the same but all have five toes on their hind feet and four toes on their front feet (just in case you get this close to see!). Red-backs normally reach a length up to 12 cm long.

Along with all salamanders in the Plethodontidae family, the Eastern Red-backs do not have lungs. Instead they breathe through their skin and mucous membranes. Unlike most other salamanders that spend at least part of their life in water, Eastern Red-backs are mainly terrestrial and can swim for only short periods of time because they cannot breathe oxygen in the water through their skin. However, their skin must stay moist to enable it to breathe. Most likely this is the reason they like to hide under rotting logs, rocks and leaf litter during the day so that their skin doesn’t dry out. When we’ve had to move our rain barrel, it’s not unusual to find a newt or salamander enjoying the damp seclusion. The rain barrel is very dry this year though!

Red-backed salamanders make up an important food source for a wide variety of snakes, birds and mammals. If they are under attack, they have the ability to drop all or part of their tail and can grow a new one afterwards. The tail that grows back is usually lighter in colour than the original tail. Another type of defence for most species of salamanders is that they can exude a white fluid that is distasteful to predators.

Though usually slow moving, salamanders can rise on their legs and run rapidly through the forest. The Red-backed salamander is a jumper though, leaping along by slapping its tail against the ground.

Finding salamanders takes a bit of searching; they are silent creatures and are mostly active at night (especially after a rainfall) while they look for food. However, if food is in short supply, they may be somewhat active during the day. Usually they walk along the forest floor under leaves, rocks and stumps but you might see one climbing a tree or shrub in search of food. Red-backs like to dine on a large variety of invertebrates and other slimy things: mites, spiders, insects and their larvae, centipedes, millipedes, beetles, snails, ants, earthworms, flies and larvae. They snare their food by quickly thrusting out their tongue with its sticky pad – much like a snake. When conditions are good and food is plentiful, they eat large amounts, then store the extra nourishment as fat to live off when conditions are bad. Breeding can occur in spring or fall with the female laying 3 to 13 relatively large yolk-filled eggs. The young hatch from the eggs and do not go through a larval stage. Groups migrate to a common woodland location and burrow several feet underground to hibernate annually.

Anything that eats slimy, creepy, biting things is a very good creature to have on your property or anywhere else. Since we are in the midst of a drought, I imagine you’d have a difficult time spotting salamanders as they would have to burrow deeply in the forest to find moist areas. I notice our lake level has been dropping steadily this past few weeks, as I’m sure the levels in most other lakes and rivers are also dropping.

Last week I saw an unusual sight along Highway 506 near the sign for Myers Cave, and where an osprey nest was located for years on a hydro tower – all of the sumac on the rocks have changed colour – reds, oranges, yellows just like you’d usually see in October. I’m not sure if the cause is the drought we’re having or if Hydro One had sprayed in that area.

 

Please feel free to report any observations to Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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