A slender yellow-orange salamander with vertical black bars on the tail. The tail can be more than 60% of body length — among the proportionally longest tails of any North American salamander.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
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.
Source: Wikipedia — Eurycea longicauda Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Slim yellow-orange salamander with prominent dark spots; tail much longer than body.
Similar species. Cave Salamander (similar pattern; longer adult). Three-lined Salamander (three pale stripes).
Voice. Silent.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Small invertebrates.
Behavior. Eastern salamander of cool moist streams and seeps. Long tail used as defensive distraction — drops off (autotomy) when grabbed; regenerates over time.
§ Range
Eastern US
§ Habitat
Cool seeps, caves, streamside crevices
§ Threats
Cave disturbance, stream contamination, climate-driven habitat shifts.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the long-tailed salamander is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Don't disturb caves. Support headwater stream protection. Don't handle (sensitive skin).
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Eurycea longicauda
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Eurycea longicauda
- IUCN Red List · taxon 59239
- iNaturalist · taxon 27548
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Eurycea longicauda
§ Sources cited
- AmphibiaWeb
- Davidson College Herpetology Lab
- IUCN Red List 2014
