Description: The western red-backed salamander has a slender build with relatively short limbs. Adults average 1.5 to 2 inches in snout-to-vent length (SVL), and 3 to 4.5 inches in total length (including tail). The western red-backed salamander has a colored stripe on its back, which extends from the anterior of the head to the end of the tail. The coloration of the stripe is highly variable, ranging from the typical reddish orange to bright yellow, with melanism also being documented in the species.

Habitat: A variety of habitats are inhabited by the salamander, including temperate forests, rocky talus slopes, and riparian areas.

Range: The western red-backed salamander is found from southwestern Oregon to southwestern British Columbia. Within that geographic range, the salamander is found from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Coast. The western red-backed salamander has been found on Vancouver Island.

Found in these States: OR | WA

Diet: Red-backed salamanders feed on a large variety of invertebrates. These include mites, spiders, insects, centipedes, millipedes, beetles, snails, ants, earthworms, flies, and larvae.

Reproduction: It lays eggs on land in moist retreats, where they develop directly without a larval stage.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large extent of occurrence, large number of subpopulations and localities, and large population size.

Taxonomy: