Red Backed Salamander
(Plethodon cinerus) |
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DESCRIPTION: Redback Salamanders have
no lungs. The animals breathe through their skins, and the
lining of the roof of the mouth. The "red-back" is
gray-black with a red to orange stripe down the back and tail
and is found in all damp forests. No matter what the colour
phase, Redback Salamanders are small about four to five
centimetres long and slender. They seem to be fragile. Sometimes
the tails break off as you hold them. This may be an adaptation
to help the salamander escape from predators that bite and hold
its tail.
STATUS:
RANGE:
HABITAT: This salamander is more of a land
creature. It lives in all sorts of moist forests and often
invades suburban backyards. Its eggs are laid in damp places
under rocks or logs, so there is no aquatic stage at all.
SPECIAL HABITAT:
FOOD: |
