Red salamander

Red salamander
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Pseudotriton
Species:
P. ruber
Binomial name
Pseudotriton ruber
(Latreille, 1801)
Synonyms

The red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) is a species of salamander in the family (Plethodontidae) (lungless salamanders) endemic to the eastern United States. Its skin is orange/red with random black spots. Its habitats are temperate forests, small creeks, ponds, forests, temperate shrubland, rivers, intermittent rivers, freshwater, trees springs. Overall this species is common and widespread,[1] but locally it has declined because of habitat loss and it is considered threatened in Indiana and New York.[2] Red salamanders eat insects, earthworms, spiders, small crustaceans, snails, and smaller salamanders. To eat, they extend their tongue to capture prey on the tip of it and retract it back into their mouths.[3] The red salamander, as a member of the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) lacks lungs and respires through its skin.[4]

  1. ^ a b IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2014). "Pseudotriton ruber". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T59404A56253351. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T59404A56253351.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ref2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Marvin, Glenn; Paul, Cupp (2018). "Chemical Detection of Intraguild Predators (Gyrinophilus, Pseudotriton) by Streamside Plethodontid Salamanders (Eurycea)". Southeastern Naturalist. 17 (1): 166–175. doi:10.1656/058.017.0117. S2CID 91078114.
  4. ^ Miller, R. (2016). "Pseudotriton ruber". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 15 March 2017.