A reddish-brown salamander with black spots — superficially similar to red salamander but with smaller fewer spots. Notoriously difficult to find as they burrow deeply in muddy bank crevices.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The mud salamander is a bright red salamander of the family Plethodontidae. It is found in streams, seeps and swamps and underneath logs, rocks and leaves. It is endemic to the eastern half of the United States with one isolated population in central Mississippi. Mud salamanders are rarely seen plethodontids that inhabit muddy wetland and riparian habitats. Mud salamanders don't generally live above 700 meters in elevation in the Appalachian Mountains, resulting in two geographically isolated populations. Mud salamanders have short stocky bodies ranging from 7.5 to 16 cm long. Body color ranges with age and locality. There are four subspecies in the mud salamander complex, namely the Gulf Coast mud salamander, rusty mud salamander, Midland mud salamander and the eastern mud salamander. Mud salamanders are ectothermic, meaning that they cannot control their body temperature and it fluctuates with the temperature. The mud salamander is readily confused with two other species, the red salamander and the spring salamander.
Source: Wikipedia — Mud salamander Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Medium-sized stout salamander with bright orange-red to red-brown body; scattered dark spots; relatively short tail.
Similar species. Red Salamander (very similar; dark spots usually more numerous and discrete). Red Eft (smaller, more orange, terrestrial).
Voice. Silent.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Earthworms, beetles, springtails, mites, spiders.
Behavior. Salamander of muddy springs, seeps, swamps, and slow streams across southeastern US. More terrestrial than other Pseudotriton species, often found under cover near (but not in) water. Adults bright orange-red — believed to be a Müllerian mimic of the toxic Red Eft (juvenile Eastern Newt), gaining protection from predators that have learned to avoid eft-colored prey.
§ Range
Eastern US
§ Habitat
Muddy banks of springs and seepages
§ Threats
Spring habitat degradation, sedimentation, stream-bank trampling.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the mud salamander is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support spring and seep protection. Don't trample stream banks. Maintain forested buffers.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Mud salamander
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Pseudotriton montanus
- IUCN Red List · taxon 59405
- iNaturalist · taxon 27562
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Pseudotriton montanus
§ Sources cited
- AmphibiaWeb
- USGS PWRC
- Davidson College Herpetology
- IUCN Red List 2014
