Red-Backed Salamander Facts

Red-backed salamanders are terrestrial and live in deciduous forests. Discover facts about red-backed salamanders with information from a published biologist in this free video on amphibians.

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Video transcription

Here we have an eastern red backed salamander. Its scientific name is plethodon cinereus. It is found in eastern North America, west to Missouri and south to North Carolina. They are terrestrial and they live in deciduous forest throughout their geographic range. They are commonly found in leaf litter, on the ground as well as under rocks, logs, or even in small burrows. They like to live in moist environments and it's a necessity as they lack lungs and actually respire through their skin. The red backed salamander has three different color phases. The red back phase which is the one I'm currently holding has this beautiful red stripe down its entire body from its neck to its tail. The lead backed phase actually lacks this stripe and is generally solid black or gray color. The third morph is called the erythristic morph and it is this beautiful red color. It's the least common of the three morphs, and it's only found in higher altitudes. Mating for this species begins in the fall, and the male actually secretes a substance from his gland on the chin and he rubs it on the female's head and nostrils to stimulate her to mate. He deposits a spermataphore which the female picks up with her cloaca and fertilizes the eggs. The mother actually has high maternal investment, and remains coiled around the eggs until they hatch. They are terrestrial and unlike most amphibians they do not have an aquatic larvae stage. The red backed feeds primarily on invertebrates, including spiders, insects, centipedes, millipedes, beetles, and snails. They feed by thrusting their tongues out in a forward motion. They are what is called pulse feeders which means they eat very large amounts when food is available and they store it as fat when food becomes scarce. A very interesting fact about these salamanders is their abundance. A study was done in New Hampshire that showed that the biomass of these salamanders in any given area was actually greater than the biomass of mammals and birds combined. And that's your eastern red backed salamander.