HerpIndiana

Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)

Adult from Brown County

Description

Coloration: A medium-sized black salamander with white speckling. White dots are present throughout the dorsum, and they increase along the sides, where they often form wide white bands. The black dorsal color fades to gray on the tail. Ventral coloration is black, except under the tail and feet, where it is gray. The underside of the chin can often have light spots. These salamanders are sometimes confused with the Blue-spotted Salamander but can be distinguished by the nasolabial grove present in only the former (Minton 2001, pg. 88).

Size: Adults reach total lengths of 5-7 inches (Minton 2001, pg. 88).

Larvae: Hatchlings have light ventral surfaces and are uniformly dark on the top, with some pigment-free spots (Petranka 1998, pg. 354-355). Average total lengths of hatchlings in Indiana are about .5-1 inch long (Minton 2001, pg. 88).

Eggs: Eggs are whitish with a jelly surrounding when laid. They are laid in spherical clusters of 16-33 and are often suspended from the ceilings of natural cavities. Presumably, these eggs are typically laid underground, due to the low numbers of nests observed in the wild (Petranka 1998, pg. 358-359).

Distribution

Northern Slimy Salamanders can be found throughout most of southern Indiana, though they are less common in the southwestern corner. Their range extends further north on the western border of the state, though records for the northernmost area of the state are probably erroneous (Minton 2001, pg. 89).

Activity

Slimy Salamanders can be found from late winter to late fall in Indiana (Minton 2001, pg. 89). Though they can be flipped in the summer, this species seems to be most common in the spring and fall months.

Breeding Season: Breeding is probably most common in the fall in Indiana, though some individuals may breed in the spring (Petranka 1998, pg. 356). Eggs are probably laid the next spring (Minton 2001, pg. 89).

Taxonomy

The Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus) has no subspecies. It belongs to the genus Plethodon, which contains 4 species in Indiana, and is in the family Plethodontidae.

Natural History

Habitat: Slimy Salamanders typically inhabit rocky woodlands. They can also be found along small rocky streams (Minton 2001, pg. 89). I have observed most individuals in the hills surrounding small, rocky brooks, though many have also been discovered in areas away from water. I have observed them under a variety of cover including bark, logs, and rocks. They are rarely discovered in the open, though I did observe one juvenile crawling in the open a few feet from the mouth of a cave.

Feeding: Slimy Salamander feed on a variety of terrestrial invertebrates, with ants and beetles making up a large part of the diet in many populations (Petranka 1998, pg. 360).

Breeding: Breeding occurs on land, where the male drops a spermatophore after a series of courtship behaviors. The female picks up the spermatophore shortly thereafter (Petranka 357).