Red Backed Salamander: Small but Vital

If you walk around any Northeastern forest and begin flipping logs and rocks, you are bound to come across the Red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus. The salamander can be found in two color phases, the red backed variety, and the darker lead-backed variety. They have rather long tails (unless broken off) are usually between 2-4 inches long, and have a salt and pepper colored belly. If you need further confirmation of this species, you can count the grooves present along the sides of the salamander between the front and back legs. Red backs have between 16 and 19 costal grooves.

Unlike other salamanders, red backs are completely terrestrial. They have no aquatic larvae stage and do not return to water to breed. Females breed every other fall and lay their eggs under rotting logs or in underground chambers. The female will coil up around the eggs and guard them until they hatch. Upon hatching the young are independent but tolerated by their mother.

In studies done of salamanders in Hubbard brook forest in New Hampshire in 1975, the Red-backed salamander was found to make up a significant portion of the forest's biomass, which is impressive for such a small animal, as well as play a vital role in the food chain. (Burton and Likens 1975)[1]

Being Ectotherms, salamanders are not spending energy as mammals do maintaining a high body temperature. Because of this they are able to convert much more of the food they eat to body mass. Compare the 50% conversion rate in many amphibians to the 1.4% conversion rate found in many mammals and birds.

Red backed Salamanders are generalist feeders, meaning they eat a variety of small invertebrates depending on what is available. Most of the things they eat would be too small for the birds and mammals that eat the salamanders to eat. Because they are so efficient at converting what they eat into "salamander", they are in a sense providing food to the ecosystem's birds and mammals that would be otherwise unavailable to them.

Although this salamander seems plentiful in Northeastern forests, and they appear to be very hardy, there are some potential threats such as acid rain and habitat loss. Next time you are in the woods take a peek under some rocks/logs and see if you can find this important amphibian. Just make sure you put the "roof" back on their home when you are done.

[1] Burton, T.M. and G.E. Likens. 1975. Salamander populations and biomass in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. Copeia 1975: 541-546.