Description: The eastern mud salamander is a vibrant red amphibian marked with small black spots. Body coloration and spotting vary with age, as juveniles are often bright red and lightly marked with a few, tiny spots. In contrast, the brick red or brown skin of older individuals is patterned with larger spots, which may be obscured by the darker body coloration. Adults measure 3.0 to 7.7 inches in length. Although similar in appearance to the northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber), the eastern mud salamander can be distinguished by eye color and the pattern of spotting on the body. The mud salamander has brown eyes, while those of the northern red salamander are yellow. In addition, the spots of the eastern mud salamander are separate and defined, while those of the northern red tend to fuse together.

Habitat: True to its name, the mud salamander inhabits low elevation swamps, bogs, springs, and streams that provide a muddy substrate (bottom) as well as clear, clean water. A fossorial (burrowing) species, this salamander seeks shelter in burrows beneath leaf litter, logs, stones, or bark and may also excavate tunnels in creek banks. Mud salamanders spend much of their time in close proximity to water, yet also burrow in the soil of the surrounding forest.

Range: It is found along the east coast from New Jersey down to Georgia.

Found in these States: AL | GA | MD | NC | NJ | SC | VA

Diet: A mud salamander's diet varies with age. In the larval stage, the small creatures tend to feed on equal-sized or smaller, aquatic invertebrates. The salamander larvae are also said to consume other salamander larvae. As an adult, though, the salamander's diet increases in variety, but it still eats smaller prey. Though not much is known about an adult salamander's eating habits, it is known that they are likely to feed on earthworms, beetles, spiders, and even smaller kinds of salamanders. Mud salamanders also can eat invertebrates as small as mites. What the mud salamander tends to eat however, mainly lies in the habitat in which it lives.

Reproduction: Mud salamanders breed during the warmer months of the year. Egg deposition commonly occurs during autumn and winter. The females reproduce at most once per year (usually once per two years), while males may breed several times a year. It is thought that the irregular reproductive cycle of females is a facultative adaptation which prolongs life during variable mortality rates and can increase overall reproductive success. "When a mate is found, the male performs a tail undulation display. The female then straddles his tail, allowing glands on the male's tail to lubricate her. The male is then able to deposit his sperm into the female". Females reach reproductive maturity around four to five years old, while males reach reproductive maturity around two to two and a half years old. The males will reach sexual maturity their first year after metamorphosis, but will reach breeding condition after a few summers. The males will produce sperm annually and try to mate between July and November, and the females will begin to oviposit in the fall. "A female may stay with her eggs to aid the incubation process. Incubation typically lasts three or more months, with embryos hatching in the winter. Clutches range in size between 65 and 200 and increases as a function of body size.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution and presumed large and stable population.

Taxonomy: