Red-backed Salamander
⚡ Key Facts & Quick Answers (AEO Summary)
- Taxonomic Class: Amphibians (Amphibia)
- Dietary Niche: Carnivore (Insects, spiders, mites, earthworms)
- Max Speed: 1 km/h (0.6 mph)
- Adult Weight: 1 - 2 grams
- Typical Lifespan: 5 - 10 years
- Primary Habitat: Deciduous forest floors, leaf litter, rotting logs
- Native Region: Eastern North America
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern
📊 Physical & Biological Metrics
🧬 Scientific Taxonomy & Biological Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Order | Urodela |
| Family | Plethodontidae |
| Genus | Plethodon |
| Species Binomial | Plethodon cinereus |
📖 1. Species Overview
The Eastern Red-backed Salamander is a small, lungless amphibian. Lacking lungs entirely, they breathe oxygen directly through their moist skin, inhabiting damp forest soils.
🦿 2. Physical Appearance, Anatomy & Adaptations
Slender body, dark grey skin with a broad reddish-brown stripe running down the back from head to tail. Lacks lungs.
🗺️ 3. Habitat, Geographic Distribution & Territorial Range
Terrestrial and solitary. They reside under rotting logs, maintaining territories which they mark with scent pheromones.
🥩 4. Diet, Feeding Strategy & Hunting Tactics
Hunt bugs in leaf litter, using their tongue to clasp tiny springtails and mites.
🐣 5. Reproduction, Lifecycle & Social Hierarchy
Lay clutches of 3-14 eggs inside hollow logs. The female coils around the eggs to protect them. Hatchlings skip the tadpole stage.
🛡️ 6. Conservation Status, Population Threats & Protection
Least Concern. Highly abundant, though sensitive to logging and forest soil drying.
💡 Fascinating Facts & Trivia
- Because they are lungless, they must keep their skin moist at all times; if their skin dries out, they cannot breathe and will suffocate.
- They are one of the most numerous vertebrates in North American forests, often outweighing all birds and mammals in the same area combined.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Direct authoritative answers regarding the biology, feeding habits, and habitat of the Red-backed Salamander.
The Red-backed Salamander is scientifically classified as Plethodon cinereus. It belongs to the genus Plethodon within the family Plethodontidae, class Amphibia, and phylum Chordata.
In the wild, Red-backed Salamanders inhabit Deciduous forest floors, leaf litter, rotting logs. Their native geographic range primarily spans Eastern North America.
The Red-backed Salamander is classified as a Carnivore. It feeds primarily on specialized nutrients suited to its ecological niche in Deciduous forest floors, leaf litter, rotting logs.
A Red-backed Salamander can achieve top speeds of 1 km/h (0.6 mph) and weighs approximately 1 - 2 grams. Its expected natural lifespan is 5 - 10 years.
The Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is currently designated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Cite this Article
FaunaWiki Zoological Database (2026). "Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) Species Profile."
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