Four-toed Salamander
Hemidactylium scutatum
Conservation Status:
State Status: Apparently Secure (NatureServe, 2025)
Global Assessment: Least Concern (IUCN, 2020)
Photographed by Sophia Marler in Glastonbury
Description
Four-toed salamanders grow up to four inches long (Watkins-Colwell, 2025). They are rusty brown in color and have a white stomach with black specks. A cylindrical tail is also apparent. This species gets its name from the unique trait of having only four toes on each foot, with most other salamanders having five.
Habitat
These salamanders are most commonly found in wetlands and bogs. They may also be found in moist forests.
Behavior
Four-toed salamanders eat small invertebrates such as arachnids, worms, and ticks. Breeding occurs early in the spring, and eggs are laid in moss or logs above water. They hatch into aquatic larvae. When threatened, this species will coil, tucking the head under the tail (Quinn, 2020).
Range
References
iNaturalist. (2024). Observations. California Academy of the Sciences / National Geographic Society. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=49&taxon_id=27652.
International Union for Conservation Of Nature and Natural Resources. (2020, December 21). Four-toed Salamander. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59285/193374453.
Klemens, M. W. et al. (2021). Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. https://ctdeepstore.com/products/conservation-of-amphibians-reptiles-in-connecticut.
NatureServe. (2025, January 31). Hemidactylium scutatum. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101408/Hemidactylium_scutatum.
Quinn, D. P. (2020). Four-toed Salamander. Connecticut Herpetology. https://www.ctherpetology.com/four-toed-salamander.
Watkins-Colwell, G. J. (2025). Four-toed Salamander - Hemidactylium scutatum. Yale Peabody Museum. https://peabody.yale.edu/explore/collections/herpetology/guide-amphibians-reptiles-connecticut.
Watkins-Colwell, G. J. et al. (2006). New Distribution Records for Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut, with notes on the Status of an Introduced Species. Sacred Heart University. https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=bio_fac.
Page updated March 1, 2025