Great Smoky Mountains National Park Salamanders

A very common small terrestrial salamander with two main color morphs: a red (striped) morph and a leaden (uniform dark) morph. In the Smokies it dominates leaf-litter communities at lower to mid elevations and is an important predator of small invertebrates.

Note small size (adult 6–8 cm total), smooth skin, and either a distinct reddish stripe along the back or an overall dark (lead) morph; toes and tail are slender, and they are strictly terrestrial.

Common Confusions

• Slimy Salamander Plethodon glutinosus Slimy is larger, often with scattered white spots and sticky skin; redback has a clear dorsal stripe (in the striped morph) and smaller size.
• Red Cheeked Salamander Plethodon jordani Red-cheeked has concentrated red on the cheeks and occurs at higher elevations; redback's stripe runs centrally along the back.
• Pygmy Salamander Desmognathus wrighti Pygmy is more rounded with a shorter tail and different toe proportions; redback is more elongate.
• Eastern Newt Eft Notophthalmus viridescens (eft stage) Efts are bright orange/red and diurnal on forest floor for a year, but have granular skin and more conspicuous spots and no dorsal stripe like some redbacks.
• Four-toed Salamander Hemidactylium scutatum Four-toed has a narrow tail abruptly terminating and a conspicuous white belly with dark spots; redback lacks that belly pattern.