We came across this lil’ guy in the winter after a series of warm Virginia winter days. I think it thought it could leave its hibernation and get the spring move-on, but then got caught as the chill set in. At first we thought it was dead, but it was just very…slow (cold?) so we actually took it out of the road so it didn’t get squished by a car, and tucked it under some leaves. Hopefully that was helpful to this bronze-colored salamander!
Size: 6.5-9.5 cm long Family: Plethodontidae (Lungless Salamander Family) Habitat: Rivers, swamps, freshwater springs, temperate forests. Identification: Tan to light yellow (I see them more as a bronze or antique gold color) with two black longitudinal stripes running from the eyes onto the tail. Dorsum is flecked with black spots. From plants.ces.ncsu.edu
