Posted by bruce lierman on June 4, 2006

Q: I recently visited Noyes pond in central Vermont. It's almost 1800 feet above sea level, at the headwaters of the Wells river.

I saw what appeared to be a small red salamander on the dam there. It was brilliant translucent red, with no black spots I could see, though it did seem to have costal lines on the sides. It was approximately 2 1/2 inches long. From what I've read this would be a somewhat extreme altitude and location for a red salamander. Is it likely? Other possibilities?

Thanks very much for your opinion.

Habitat: pond/lake

State: Vermont

Habitat: pond/lake

A: Vermont just doesn't have many red salamanders! From your description, it really sounds to me that you saw a Red Eft. This is the terrestrial or larval form of the Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). Individuals living in especially moist, forested, upland areas tend to be more vibrant in their colors too. I realize that this eft has a few spots on it but am wondering if you just didn't notice these. Red Efts are often found crawling about in midday, especially when it's moist/overcast/rainy, so they're often seen by hikers. Google this eft and see if it looks right. Hope I've solved your mystery. Oh yes, thanks for your helpful description of the animal.

John Wiessinger ( June 5, 2006)

A: If the animal you saw did have costal grooves, it was probably a Spring Salamander — efts lack costal grooves. Spring Salamanders are fairly large, mostly aquatic salamanders. They can vary in color from brownish to red, orange or pink. Here are some images:

animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu

Solon Morse ( June 5, 2006)