Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

County List:

Rule:

Forested or Nonforested Landscapes

      (Northern Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Spruce/Fir (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Hemlock (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Upland Conifer (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Northern Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      (Dead Down Woody Debris or Rock)

Habitat List:

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Literature:

Red-backed salamanders live in woodlands, particularly those with decaying logs and thick leaf litter. A moist environment is required because they lack lungs and "breathe" through their moist skins. This salamander can survive where there are no nearby ponds or other water habitats, as it has no aquatic larval stage.

In June the female lays from three to fourteen eggs in a cavity within a log, beneath a rock or underground. The eggs usually hang from the top of the nest cavity and are attended by the female. She keeps them moist and protects them from mold and predators. Red-backed salamanders complete their development within the egg.

Red-backed salamanders often defend their home areas against others of their species.

These salamanders eat small invertebrates, including ants, beetles, spiders, earthworms, centipedes and snails.

Habitat: Entirely terrestrial. Mixed deciduous or coniferous woods, inhabiting interiors of decaying logs and stumps, also found underneath stones, moist leaf litter and bark. Wet areas and extremely moist bottomland avoided. Enters xeric, sandy habitats where moist microhabitats exist.

Hibernates down to 15 inches (38 cm) soil depth or in rock crevices. May be active during mild winter weather. In Indiana, individuals were found active in an ant mound throughout the winter. Found hibernating in a 30 to 36 inch (76.2-91.4 cm) depth in decaying root systems of dead white oaks in se. Massachusetts. Has been found hibernating in aquatic situations in Maryland.

Special Habitat Requirements: Logs, stumps, rocks, and so on.

The lead-back phase is reportedly most common in coniferous and mixed woods, particularly in coastal areas, and the red-backed is most common in deciduous woods.

Habitat: The redback salamander is the only entirely terrestrial salamander in Maine and inhabits coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests. It seems to be more abundant in mature, rather than young forests and can be found in suburban areas adjacent to woodlands.

Within the forest, the redback salamander can be found in the litter and under a variety of cover objects including loose bark, rocks, and logs, They particularly favor moist decaying logs and stumps. Redback salamanders are seldom seen on the surface of litter except on rainy nights. During dry periods, they often move to underground holes, seeking moist locations, and become difficult to find in the leaf litter. Population surveys usually involve searching on or in the litter, but the proportion of the total population in the litter at a given time is unknown.

Redback salamanders apparently spend the winter deep (40-90 cm, 15-35 in) in the ground where they will not freeze. They are found in cracks in rocks, along tree roots, and in other small openings and soft spots in the soil.