A wide-ranging Pacific Northwest salamander notable for the dramatically elongated fourth toe on each hind foot, which gives the species its name. They're among the few amphibians that breed at high alpine elevations.

Also called: Long-tail

Native status: Native to eastern US (especially Appalachians)

§ Quick facts

SizeTotal length 10–18 cm (4–7 in); tail >60% of length
Weight2–6 g
LifespanWild 5–10 years
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae

§ Encyclopedia

The long-toed salamander is a mole salamander in the family Ambystomatidae. This species, typically 4.1–8.9 cm (1.6–3.5 in) long when mature, is characterized by its mottled black, brown, and yellow pigmentation, and its long outer fourth toe on the hind limbs. Analysis of fossil records, genetics, and biogeography suggest A. macrodactylum and A. laterale are descended from a common ancestor that gained access to the western Cordillera with the loss of the mid-continental seaway toward the Paleocene.

Source: Wikipedia — Long-toed salamander Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Slender yellow-orange to brown salamander with extremely long tail bearing vertical black bars or chevrons.

Similar species. Cave Salamander (more red, no bars). Three-lined Salamander (three distinct stripes).

Voice. Silent.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Small invertebrates: springtails, mites, beetles, fly larvae, snails. Hunts by ambush.

Behavior. Lungless salamander; respires through skin and mouth lining. Lives in cool, moist cave entrances, rock crevices, seeps, and stream banks. Tail autotomy (detachment) and regrowth used as predator defense. Larvae develop in cool spring-fed streams.

§ Range

Pacific Northwest from Alaska to Oregon, parts of Idaho and Montana

§ Habitat

Forests, alpine meadows, sagebrush; breeds in temporary pools

§ Threats

Habitat loss, pesticide drift in agricultural valleys, road mortality.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the long-toed salamander is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Maintain wetland buffers. Drive carefully in spring rains. Support old-growth forest protection.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative
  • AmphibiaWeb
  • IUCN Red List 2014