How to identify it
Washington's largest woodland salamander: about 2.5-3 inches snout-vent, 5.5-6 inches total. [1][2][3]
Tan, yellow or green dorsal stripe over a dark black or brown body; juveniles have a brighter stripe. [1][2][3]
Stripe does not reach the tail tip and has an uneven 'eroding' edge invaded by blotches of the side colour. [1][2][3]
Sides have patchy blotches and flecks the colour of the stripe; usually 15 costal grooves. [1][2][3]
Nasolabial grooves separate it from non-plethodontid salamanders such as the long-toed salamander. [1][2][3]
Compared with the western red-backed salamander: Lacks blotches and flecks of the stripe colour on the sides of the body. [1][2][3]
Compared with the long-toed salamander: No nasolabial grooves, rounded snout, noticeably longer fourth hind toe. [1][2][3]
Where it lives
Shaded, rocky edges of humid forested streams, stream seepages and moist talus slopes; moss-covered outcrops. [1][2][3]
How it behaves
Active above ground mostly at night during or after rain, mainly spring and fall in Washington; hard to find in the dry summer. [1][2][3]
Eats small invertebrates including mites, springtails, snails and flies. [1][2][3]
Eggs are laid on land in clusters of roughly 4-18 in moist crevices, rotted logs or cavities; no free-living larval stage. [1][2][3]
Hides under rocks, logs, moss and leaf litter; may enter water to escape predators. [1][2][3]
Limited legal take
Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.
Where legal take is listed
- California — amphibian take · 2026 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations (updated July 10, 2026), 14 CCR 5.05/5.60
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Southwestern Washington (Willapa Hills) south through western Oregon to extreme northwestern California (Smith River watershed), from sea level to about 1,000 m.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
- BIOLOGICALDunn's salamander (Plethodon dunni)
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
California Department of Fish and Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30
California Department of Fish and Wildlife