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WILDLIFE IN CONNECTICUT
CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION q WILDLIFE
DIVISION
ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES SERIES
NORTHERN SLIMY
SALAMANDERPlethodon glutinosus
Identification: The slimy salamander is black with ascattering
of small white flecks on the back. The amountof flecking can vary
among individuals; flecks may beabsent on some and plentiful on
others. The stomach isuniformly gray-black and the soles of the
feet are pale.The tail is round and accounts for half or more of
thetotal body length.
Range: Slimy salamanders range from extremesouthwestern
Connecticut and southeastern New Yorkto the northern half of
Florida. The species also occurswest to southern Illinois, southern
Missouri, northernArkansas and eastern Oklahoma and
Louisiana.Disjunct populations have been reported in NewHampshire,
northern Illinois, central Louisiana andeastern Texas.
Reproduction: Not much is known about the breed-ing activities
of slimy salamanders. It is suspected that
Habitat: Steep, moist, rocky slopes in mature, secondgrowth
deciduous or hemlock forests; rotting logs and athick layer of leaf
litter should be present.
Size: Adults, 4.5-6.5 inches.
Life Expectancy: Unknown.
Diet: Ants, beetles, centipedes, earthworms, flies,
mites, snails and slugs.Status: State threatened.
they are sexually mature at 5 years of age and that thefemales
only breed every other year. Mating probablyoccurs in both spring
and fall. Unlike most othersalamanders, open water is not needed
for the laying ofeggs. Instead, the 13 to 34 eggs (average 16-17)
areusually deposited in decaying logs or attached under-neath
rocks. All development takes place within theeggs, including
metamorphosis, so that the emerging
juvenile salamanders appear as smaller versions of theadults.
The juveniles may also have fewer white fleckson their bodies.
Reason for Decline: The major threat facing theslimy salamander
is the loss of undisturbed matureforests to urban and suburban
development in south-western Connecticut.
History in Connecticut: The slimy salamanderreaches the
northernmost edge of its range in south-
THREATENED
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CONNECTICUT RANGE
western Connecticut and only occurs in a few locationsin
Fairfield County.
Interesting Facts: The slimy salamander is aptlynamed, because
when handled roughly or disturbed, itexcretes a gluey-white
substance from its skin, espe-cially in the tail area. This
substance can be very
difficult to remove from hands or clothing.
This nocturnal salamander emerges from its burrow atdusk and
retreats at dawn. It is occasionally active onrainy days.
During a drought, the slimy salamander can be founddeep
underground or under rotting logs. The specieshibernates
underground from November to March.
Protective Legislation: State - Connecticut GeneralStatutes Sec.
26-311.
What You Can Do: The protection and propermanagement of mature,
second growth deciduous andhemlock forests in southwestern
Connecticut is essentialfor maintaining populations of slimy
salamanders in thestate.
