How to identify it
Large: 12-19 cm, females about 1 cm longer than males. [1][2]
Salmon-orange to yellowish skin with a brownish tint and dark blotchy spots and a reddish tint. [1][2]
Flat head with eyes on the sides and a broad snout. [1][2]
Tail knife-edged, aiding swimming. [1][2]
Compared with the northern dusky salamander: Much smaller and browner with a keeled tail and no salmon-orange colour. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Northern dusky salamander · Desmognathus fuscus
Where it lives
Small clear upland streams, springs, caves and shaded seepages; often under rocks, logs, leaves or moss in or near water. [1][2]
How it behaves
Mostly nocturnal; swims eel-like with legs held to the body and escapes by burrowing into mud or swimming. [1][2]
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
- West Virginia — amphibian take · 2026 West Virginia Fishing Regulations Summary
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
Southern Quebec and southern Maine south through the Appalachians to northern Georgia, Alabama and northeastern Mississippi.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology