Northern Red Salamander

Northern Red Salamander (Pseudotriton r. ruber)

Adult Northern Red Salamanders are stout-bodied, reach about 6 inches in length, and have a short, fleshy tail.  Young specimens are bright red with distinctive black dots but in older individuals the black dots coalesce giving them a dark or cloudy red dorsal pattern.

 They are found under rocks, mosses, and leaves in springs and small streams.

 Eggs are deposited in the autumn to the underside of rocks that are usually embedded at the edges of springs, small streams, or fens.  Eggs hatch in late winter and early spring and larvae transform in 2 to 3 years.

 Northern Red Salamanders are found throughout West Virginia.