Red Salamander
Pseudotriton ruber
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAmphibia (Amfibis)
- OrderCaudata (Caudats)
- FamilyPlethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders)
- GenusPseudotriton (Red and Mud Salamanders)
- SpeciesPseudotriton ruber (Red Salamander)
The red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) endemic to the Eastern United States. Its skin is brown, orange or red with random black spots. Semiaquatic adults and aquatic larvae live in temperate forests, small creeks, bogs, ponds, intermittent streams, and freshwater springs. Overall this species is common and widespread, but locally it has declined because of habitat loss and it is considered threatened in Indiana and New York. Red salamanders eat insects, earthworms, spiders, small crustaceans, snails, and smaller salamanders. To eat, they extend their tongue to capture prey on the tip of it and retract it back into their mouths. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Red Salamander sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 197 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea wilderae
Red-cheeked Salamander
Plethodon jordani
Spring Salamander
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus
Seal Salamander
Desmognathus monticola
Imitator Salamander
Desmognathus imitator
Southern Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon serratus
Pygmy Salamander
Desmognathus wrighti
Cherokee Mountain Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus adatsihi
Northern Slimy Salamander
Plethodon glutinosus
Southern Gray-cheeked Salamander
Plethodon metcalfi
Santeetlah Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus santeetlah
Long-tailed Salamander
Eurycea longicauda
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Red Salamander in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
About 28% of wildlife watchers report a Red Salamander sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 197 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Red Salamander in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Red Salamander in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.