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 →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Red Salamander sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 58 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park
Eastern Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon cinereus
Northern Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea bislineata
Seal Salamander
Desmognathus monticola
White-spotted Slimy Salamander
Plethodon cylindraceus
Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus fuscus
Shenandoah Salamander
Plethodon shenandoah
Spring Salamander
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus
Long-tailed Salamander
Eurycea longicauda
Southern Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea cirrigera
Three-lined Salamander
Eurycea guttolineata
Four-toed Salamander
Hemidactylium scutatum
Valley and Ridge Salamander
Plethodon hoffmani
📅 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 Shenandoah National Park?
About 13% of wildlife watchers report a Red Salamander sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 58 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Red Salamander in Shenandoah National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Red Salamander in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.