Pygmy Salamander

Desmognathus wrighti

Under rotting logs and the mossy bark that covers them dwell the small and handsome Pygmy Salamanders. On very humid nights, they crawl about in the open and sometimes even climb 5 or 6 feet up trees.

Look For : A tiny salamander with a reddish, herringbone-patterned back stripe and a light line from its eye to its jaw.

Length : 1 1/2-2".

Habitat : Spruce, fir, and deciduous forests.

Range : Southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee.