The Red Salamander is an amphibian that lives in the Eastern United States.
What Does the Red Salamander Look Like?
The Red Salamander is a medium or large salamander that can grow from 4-7 inches long. It is either orange or red in color depending on how old it is. The Red Salamander actually gets less bright as it gets older so if you see one that is orange it means it is probably older.
Some of the Red Salamanders have black spots on its back and it has more spots and is larger than other similar salamanders and this is what helps you to know if it is a Red Salamander or not.
What Does the Red Salamander Eat?
The Red Salamander eats small insects such as spiders and earthworms, snails, other insects, fish, small birds and other salamanders.
What is the Red Salamanders Predator?
The predator of the Red Salamander is the raccoon, skunk, birds and other smaller carnivores.
Where Does the Red Salamander Live?
The Red Salamander lives in the Eastern United States and lives close to creeks, ponds or other small water areas. They also are often found in forests, shrubs and where there are a lot of trees and grasses. Others will live under logs and rocks on the forest floor and in burrows.
Most Red Salamanders are not found near large bodies of water but around small water areas.
During the winter and cold months, the Red Salamander will burrow under the ground or find areas where other animals have burrowed and will stay there until it gets warmer.
Lungs
The interesting thing about the Red Salamander is that it does not have lungs and it breathes through its skin. There is a lining on their mouth and their body where they can breathe through it and have respiration.
Subspecies
There are four different subspecies of the Red Salamander including the Northern Red, the Blue Ridge Red, the Blackchin Red, and the Southern Red. Each of these four subspecies are similar to the Red Salamander but they just are different in size and different in color.
Growth of the Red Salamander
The growth rate of the baby salamander depends on the water temperature. When the water temperature is higher, it takes less time for the larva or the baby salamander to grow. Also, when the water is warmer, they have more chances to feed and so they will grow faster and increase in size faster.
Most of the Red Salamanders mature faster and become adults faster than other amphibians.
Finding a Mate
If a Red Salamander is looking for a mate, the male will go to the female. If he rubs his nose against her nose, cheek and chin, then moves his tale then that means they like each other.
The female will lay eggs in the fall or early in the winter at the head of streams or other areas where they can hide their nests.
Facts About the Red Salamander:
- Most Red Salamanders are nocturnal meaning that they are more active at night.
- Most Red Salamanders hunt at night.
- The baby or larva salamanders will eat other larva or algae.
- Most Red Salamanders reach adulthood when they are five years old.
- Female Red Salamanders can lay up to 70 eggs in a lifetime.
- The iris of the Red Salamander is brass colored.
- The Red Salamander goes through metamorphosis which means their body changes over time.
What Did You Learn?
- What is the Red Salamander? The Red Salamander is an amphibian that is found mostly in the Eastern United States.
- What does the Red Salamander eat? The Red Salamander will eat small animals such as birds or mice, snakes, insects such as spiders or other bugs.
- Where does the Red Salamander live? The Red Salamander lives in forests and grassy areas close to trees and close to water areas. They often are found living under rocks or logs or burrowing under the ground.
- How many eggs can a female Red Salamander lay over the span of their life? A female Red Salamander can lay up to 70 eggs over their lifetime.
- Does a Red Salamander go through metamorphosis? A Red Salamander goes through body changes so that it can live in both water and on land.