Scientific Name: Eurycea bislineata bislineata
Length: 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources
Name:Northern Two-Lined Salamander
Scientific Name: Eurycea bislineata bislineata
Length: 2 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources
This salamander is found in all parts of Ohio except the northwestern part of the state. This animal gets its name from the two dark lines on its back. These salamanders live in small rocky woodland streams and it spends the day hiding under flat rocks and logs. The Midwest two-lined salamanders are easy to find but hard to catch. (Denny, 16)
Name:Red-Spotted Newt
Scientific Name: Notophthalmus viridescens
Length: 3 to 4 inches
Red Eft
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources |
Mature Newt
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources |
Most salamanders live in the water all of their lives, but the red-spotted newt become land dwellers. They are found throughout the state of Ohio in bodies of water bordered by woodlands. The larvae live in the water for about 3 to 4 months. They then lose its gills but grow lungs and begin life on land as a red eft. Its skin is bright red-orange, dry, and rough and its tail is rounded like the tail of a lizard. It spends the next 2 to 3 years of its life as a red newt wandering about in the woods. At this stage, they are seldom bothered by other animals because their skin produces irritating secretions.
In its third year of life, its skin becomes slimy and changes from orange to green. The tail also changes shape. It changes from round to broad and wedged-shaped. It looks more like a salamander instead of a lizard. As a mature newt, it returns back to the water to breed and lives there for the rest of its life.
Name: Small-Mouthed Salamander
Scientific Name: Ambystoma texanum
Length: 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 inches
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources
This salamander gets its name from its small mouth. It is dark in color with light flecks of color on its sides and bottom. The small-mouthed salamander can be found throughout all of Ohio except the eastern edge of the state.
Name: Red-Back Salamander
Scientific Name: Plethodon cinereus
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Length: 2 1/4 to 3 5/8 inches
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources
The red-backed salamander is found throughout the state of Ohio and can be seen during the early spring under rocks and logs. This salamander is small and slender and has two color phases - the red backed phases and the lead backed phase. The red backed phase has a broad reddish-brown stripe running down the back. The lead backed phase is a dark gray color.
The red-backed salamander lives on land and will not go into the water even to breed. They lay their eggs, during summer, on the underside of rocks and logs. The eggs look like little clusters of grapes. (Denny, 10)
Name: Spotted Salamander
Scientific Name: Ambystoma maculatum
Length: 6 to 7 3/4 inches
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources
Spotted salamanders are found all over Ohio in low-lying moist woodlands that are close to swamps, ponds and creeks. They get their name from the bright yellow spots that are on their body. They are very secretive creatures. They like tunneling under ground and they can only be seen active during spring nights. They lay their fist-sized eggs in masses of almost 100 eggs and they are attached to submerged sticks or plants. (Denny, 6)
Name: Hellbender
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources
This is the largest salamander in North America. Some have been recorded to have reached a length of 29 inches. They are seldom seen and prefer large, rocky bottomed streams. Hellbenders hide under rocks in the daytime and eat crayfish, earthworms, and insects at night. (ODNR, 25).
Name: Mudpuppy
Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources
Mudpuppies are more common in Ohio than hellbenders. They live in a variety of different habitats including streams. They eat a variety of small aquatic animals and mate in the fall and lay their eggs in the spring. (ODNR, 25)