Western Redback Salamander

A small, terrestrial salamander. Adults are 40-50 mm snout to vent length (70-115 mm total length) (Brodie 1970; Petranka 1998). A dorsal stripe with even edges extends to the tip of the tail. Coloration of the stripe ranges from yellow or red to olive green or tan. The red variant is most common. The sides are gray to black, and the venter is gray with white speckling (Leonard et al. 1993; Petranka 1998). Females tend to be larger than males. Hatchlings are 13-15 mm snout to vent length, and juvenile coloration is brighter than adults (Peacock and Nussbaum 1973; Leonard et al. 1993).

Vancouver Island and adjacent areas of mainland British Columbia, Canada, south through Washington, west of the Cascade Mountains crest, and in the Coast Ranges of Oregon. An inhabitant of moist, coniferous forests. Populations are frequently found associated with talus slopes but also on forest floors where there are plenty of cover objects such as logs, bark, or rocks (Petranka 1998).

Like other members of the genus Plethodon, P. vehiculum is completely terrestrial through all stages of its life history; courtship, mating, and egg deposition occur on land. There is no free living larval stage, and juveniles hatch completely metamorphosed (Stebbins 1985; Petranka 1998). Courtship behavior has not been described, but general facts are known based on closely related species. Fertilization occurs by means of a spermatophore deposited on the substrate by the male and picked up in the cloaca by the female (Duellman and Trueb 1986).Mating occurs from September through January, depending on location (Peacock and Nussbaum 1973; Ovaska and Gregory 1989). Eggs are deposited during spring or early summer, although nests have not been found (Peacock and Nussbaum 1973). The female likely attends the eggs throughout development, as in other plethodontid salamanders (Jockusch and Mahoney 1997). Clutch size is 6-19 (average 10). Hatching occurs in late summer (August to early September) (Peacock and Nussbaum 1973; Nussbaum et al. 1983). Diet consists of small, terrestrial invertebrates. Likely predators are small mammals, birds, and carabid beetles (on juveniles). See Petranka (1998) for references.

Plethodon vehiculum are found in forests of all ages and may be abundant in young forests (Corn and Bury 1991; Petranka 1998). Long term studies to compare the effect of logging on this and other woodland species would be very interesting.

Maximum longevity: 11.1 years (captivity)

The western red-backed salamander (Plethodon vehiculum) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. The species is found in extreme southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States. The western red-backed salamander is found in temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. It is considered widespread in the region and is not strictly associated with a specific habitat type.