Northern Red Salamanders

Northern Red Salamander

This was a very special find, as we do not see them very often!

Looks Like:  Northern Red Salamanders can be 4-7” in length. Their stout body is red to reddish-orange with dotted to irregular, rounded black spots all over its back and limbs. They have five toes on their hindlimbs and four toes on forelimbs. They have 16-17 costal grooves (grooves along its underside).

Lives In:  Terrestrial and aquatic environments. They prefer to under fallen bark, logs, and rocks in woodlands and under leaf litter in cool streams.

Niche:  Northern Red Salamanders are prey to woodland birds, skunks, and raccoons. These salamanders are carnivorous and will feed upon insects, worms, other invertebrates, and sometimes smaller salamanders.

Threats:  These salamanders depend on intact deciduous forests to survive. Their survival can be compromised with encroaching development that devastates and removes forest habitats.

Frequency:  Northern Red Salamanders are uncommon in the Shawangunks. It is a very special treat to come across one on a hike. Northern Red Salamanders can live more than 20 years.

Reproduction:  Males will rub their snout on the female’s head and chin. Once the female is enticed, she will collect the male’s spermatophores with her cloaca. Her egg location is cryptic – she’ll lay her eggs in springs, brooks, and under streambanks. The egg masses are gelatinous in a single stalk. The 30-130 eggs she lays will hatch in early winter and remain in larval stage for 1-3 years before becoming an adult.

Fun Fact:  Northern Red Salamanders have a projectile tongue that can extend and return in 11 milliseconds. They can also release a toxin from their poison glands to repel away certain predators.