Description: The red to red-orange stripe running from the head to the tail of this salamander is distinctive. Their sides are dark, often with gray-blue spots. [Size is] usually less than 3 inches long. This species belongs to a family of salamanders without lungs. It breathes through its skin and mucous membranes. (MN DNR, 2022)
Habitat: Unlike most salamanders that spend at least part of their life in the water, Eastern red-backed salamanders are completely terrestrial. (MN DNR, 2022)
Reproduction: Red-backed Salamanders are unique among Minnesota's salamanders, as they lay eggs terrestrially and larvae develop inside the egg before emerging as fully formed miniature adults. (MN DNR, 2022)
