Wonders of Wildlife: Slimy Salamander

Slimy Salamander

Other Common Names: Northern slimy salamander

Scientific Name: Plethodon glutinosis

Found in Alabama: Statewide

Diet: Carnivore (eats animals)

Slimy Salamander
Wikimedia – AugustTulipa13

Learn More About...

Classification

IDENTIFICATION

Adaptations

Life Cycle

Habitat Needs

Ecological Role

CLASSIFICATION

Scientists use basic traits to
group animals into different taxonomic
classes.

For a taxonomic classification chart comparing key traits of common backyard wildlife,
CLICK HERE!

What type of animal am I?

I am a vertebrate (an animal with a spine or backbone).
I am cold-blooded, so I cannot control my body temperature.
I do not have scales, feathers, or fur, so I have smooth skin.
I breathe through my skin.
I have 4 legs.

The Slimy Salamander is an AMPHIBIAN!

IDENTIFICATION TIPS

ADULT SLIMY SALAMANDER

Range from 4 – 7.5 inches long from head to tail
Dark bluish black with light metallic colored spots on the back
Dark on the underside with light spots on the chin.
Males and females look alike
Babies look similar to adults

Slimy Salamander
Wikimedia – Greg Schechter

PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS

Slimy salamanders defend themselves using slime:

The slimy salamander gets its name from one of its main defenses against threats.
When threatened, they produce a sticky substance from a gland in their tail.
This substance can bind the jaws of whatever grabs it.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

Slimy salamanders are nocturnal:

They are active during the night (nocturnal).

Slimy salamanders use burrows:

During warm, dry days, slimy salamanders use burrows or root tunnels to stay cool and damp.
If a threat is spotted, they use the tunnel as an escape.
At night when it is cooler, they sit at the entrance of the burrow, waiting to ambush prey (animals that they eat).
In the winter, slimy salamanders use these burrows to enter a state of hibernation (becoming dormant as if they are in a deep sleep). They emerge and become active in the spring when temperatures become warmer.

Slimy salamanders provide parental care to eggs:

Slimy salamanders are primarily terrestrial (live on the land).
Females do not lay their eggs in the water, so they stay near the eggs to keep them from drying out.
They also stay near their eggs to defend them against predators (animals that eat them).

Slimy Salamander with Eggs
Wikimedia – Stanley Trauth

LIFE CYCLE

Eggs:

Females lay an average of 16-17 soft-shelled egg at a time.
Eggs are laid under logs or rocks, in caves, or in the dirt.
The females stay with their eggs for 2-3 months until the young have hatched.

Young:

The young are independent when they hatch and look similar to the parent.

Life Span:

The average life span for slimy salamanders is 5.5 years.

Baby Slimy Salamander
Flickr – Todd Pierson

HABITAT NEEDS

Natural Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	Will eat invertebrates (animals without a backbone) including earthworms, snails, spiders, and beetles.
Water	Moisture is essential for keeping their bodies moist and hydrated. This is especially important because they breathe through their skin.
Shelter	Live in moist forested areas, river bottomed hardwood forests, and caves. Can be found under rotting logs, rocks, rock crevices, and other debris.
Places to Raise Young	Eggs are laid in moist, protected areas such as under rotting logs or rocks.

If you want to offer resources in your backyard habitat for this species, consider the suggestions below.

Backyard Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	Avoid using fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides which would negatively impact invertebrates (animals without a backbone).
Water	Provide a still or slow-moving water source such as a shallow pond. Do not remove moist, decaying logs or other natural debris.
Shelter	Provide a still or slow-moving water source such as a shallow pond. Do not remove moist, decaying logs or other natural debris.
Places to Raise Young	Do not remove rocks, logs, fallen branches, or other natural debris where females might be likely to lay their eggs.

ECOLOGICAL ROLE

Animals play an important ecological role in the health of habitats and ecosystems.

Food Source:

Snakes are the main predators (animals that eat them) of slimy salamanders.
They may also provide a food source for birds and small mammals.

Soil Dynamics:

The burrowing behavior of the slimy salamander may play a role in introducing air to the soil (aeration).
This process can help move nutrients and water through the soil.

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