Red Back Salamander - CTnaturalist Online

Описание: As the ground continues to thaw in March, red-backed salamanders become active on the forest floor.

The red-backed salamander is the most common salamander found in Connecticut, but did you know that it does not have lungs? It breathes directly through its skin!

All salamanders can absorb oxygen and water through their skin, but many have lungs to acquire additional oxygen. The red-backeds lack of lungs makes it even more dependent on its skin.

Oxygen passes through a thin layer of moisture on the surface of the salamanders body.
Its an intricate balance:
Too much water, the salamander will drown
Too little, the salamander will suffocate/dehydrate

The damp environment under the detritus on the forest floor provides the perfect balance of moisture for the salamander to survive.

Red-backeds inhabit most New England forests and come in 3 color variations:
black, red, and erythristic (pink with blue spots found only in north western Connecticut).

When frightened by predators, they sometimes shed their tail. The tail convulses to distract the predator, while the salamander remains still and then sneaks away. The tail will eventually regenerate to it original length.