Common Name: Mud Salamander
Scientific Name: Pseudotriton montanus
Family: Plethodontidae – Lungless Salamander family
Locations: United States – Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia
Size: 6 – 8 inches (15.24 – 20.32 cm)
The Mud Salamander lives from New Jersey down to Louisiana in swamps, seeps, springs, ponds, pools, and streams. The salamanders construct complex burrows near these water bodies to live in.
Mating happens during late summer or fall. The eggs are not laid right away. The eggs are laid during fall or early winter. Between 77 – 192 eggs are laid, amongst the highest numbers in Plethodontidid salamanders.
The Mud and Red Salamanders are very similar in appearance however the Mud Salamander has brown eyes while the Red Salamander has gold / yellow eyes.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nation (IUCN) Red List assess the Mud Salamander as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a pretty wide range, covering most of the southeast United States and the salamanders are thought to be common throughout most of it. In some states, they are considered rare, threatened, or endangered.