Eastern Red-backed Salamander Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818)    Synonyms: Red-backed Salamander.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Amphibia   >   Order Caudata   >   Family Plethodontidae   >   Genus Plethodon   

Status:

Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is an abundant and widespread species of woodland salamander, distributed across Maryland in most forested habitats, especially more mature forest with substantial leaf litter. This species is often considered to be among the most abundant vertebrates in North America, and the total biomass of terrestrial salamanders in a New Hampshire forest (93.5% of total was P. cinereus) was estimated to equal the biomass of all small mammals present or exceed biomass of all birds within the study area (Burton & Likens, 1977). Eastern Red-backeds prefer moist microhabitats, and are often largely absent from the most xeric sites. This salamander is usually observed under leaf litter, logs, rocks, or similar debris (Conant & Collins, 1998; Maryland DNR site).

There are 14,952 records in the project database.

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An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/6/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamanders in Howard Co., Maryland (3/4/2012). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/8/2016). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Frederick Co., Maryland (10/10/2019). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

A male Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Howard Co., Maryland (12/18/2015). Note the small projections under the nostrils, which are called cirri. They assist in locating females. Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Montgomery Co., Maryland (1/5/2017). Photo by Bonnie Bell. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Garrett Co., Maryland (4/30/2005). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (11/18/2020). Photo by Jakob Cackowski. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/11/2018). (c) Justin Lee, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Justin Lee via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Howard Co., Maryland (2/14/2018). Photo by Bonnie Ott. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Garrett Co., Maryland (11/6/2017). (c) Justin Lee, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Justin Lee via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Caroline Co., Maryland (2/25/2022). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Prince George's Co., Maryland (4/22/2015). Photo by David Hilmy. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Talbot Co., Maryland (2/25/13). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Prince George's Co., Maryland (10/30/2014). Photo by David Hilmy. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Calvert Co., Maryland (3/15/2019). Photo by Ben Springer. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Dorchester Co., Maryland (2/19/2020). (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Caroline Co., Maryland (10/4/2022). (c) Emilio Concari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Howard Co., Maryland (10/13/2013). Photo by Richard Orr. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Harford Co., Maryland (3/8/2020). Photo by Dave Webb. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Baltimore Co., Maryland (4/4/2013). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/10/2018). Photo by Justin Lee. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/31/2014). (c) Frode Jacobsen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Frederick Co., Maryland (3/21/2020). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/15//2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/15/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Montgomery Co., Maryland (3/29/2020). (c) bryanehunter, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by bryanehunter via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Talbot Co., Maryland (2/25/13). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/28/2011). Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/31/2015). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (4/9/2011). Photo by Lori Byrne. (MBP list)

Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Dorchester Co., Maryland (3/4/2018). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (11/19/2020). Photo by Jakob Cackowski. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander in Talbot Co., Maryland (5/12/2013). Photo by Jared Satchell. (MBP list)

An Eastern Red-backed Salamander from the Jemicy School in Baltimore Co., Maryland (9/24/2013). Photo by Emily Stanley. (MBP list)


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