Order Caudata Genus Plethodon | Phylum Chordata Family Plethodontidae Scientific name Plethodon serratus Rank Species | |
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Similar Woodland salamander, Salamander, Amphibians, Lungless salamander, Southern zigzag salamander | ||
The southern red-backed salamander (Plethodon serratus) is a species of salamander native to the United States. It is found in four widely disjunct populations: one in central Louisiana; one in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma; one in central Missouri; and one from southeastern Tennessee, to southwestern North Carolina, western Georgia, and eastern Alabama. It is sometimes referred to as the Georgia red-backed salamander or the Ouachita red-backed salamander. It was once considered a subspecies of the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus.
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Description
The southern red-backed salamander is typically gray or black in color, with a red-brown, fading stripe across the width of its back. It grows from 8 to 11 cm (3 to 4 in) in length.
Behavior
Mostly nocturnal, it is often found under ground debris in moist, forested areas. In dry seasons, it moves closer to permanent water sources. Its primary diet is small arthropods and mollusks.