Northern Slimy Salamander
Plethodon glutinosus
Conservation Status:
State Status: Imperiled (NatureServe, 2025)
State Listing: Threatened (DEEP, 2015)
Global Assessment: Least Concern (IUCN, 2021)
Description
Northern slimy salamanders grow up to seven inches long (Watkins-Colwell, 2025). They are black with white specks across their entire bodies and have cylindrical tails.
Habitat
These salamanders live in moist forests and rocky areas.
Behavior
Slimy salamanders often hide under leaf litter and other debris on the forest floor. Invertebrates are their main source of food, including beetles and worms. Breeding occurs in the spring. Eggs are laid in moist areas on land, typically underneath debris. They do not have an aquatic larval stage, metamorphosing while still inside their eggs.
When threatened, this species secretes a sticky, glue-like substance from the tail (Quinn, 2020). This secretion is difficult to remove from the predator, giving the salamander time to flee.
Range
Northern Slimy Salamander
Photo needed! Email ajones7428@gmail.com
Often Confused with
Blue-Spotted Salamander
Photographed by Cody Limber
Slimy salamanders have cylindrical tails and their spots are white. Blue-spotted salamanders have blue spots, and a laterally flattened tail. When threatened, slimy salamanders will secrete a sticky, glue-like secretion that is hard to remove from hands and fabric.
References
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. (2015, August 5). Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Amphibians. Connecticut. https://portal.ct.gov/deep/endangered-species/endangered-species-listings/endangered-threatened--special-concern-amphibians.
iNaturalist. (2024). Observations. California Academy of the Sciences / National Geographic Society. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=49&taxon_id=27184.
International Union for Conservation Of Nature and Natural Resources. (2021, July 28). Northern Slimy Salamander. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/125172185/125174035.
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). Plethodon glutinosus. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103372/Plethodon_glutinosus.
Quinn, D. P. (2020). Northern Slimy Salamander. Connecticut Herpetology. https://www.ctherpetology.com/slimy-salamander.
Watkins-Colwell, G. J. (2025). Slimy Salamander - Plethodon glutinosus. Yale Peabody Museum. https://peabody.yale.edu/explore/collections/herpetology/guide-amphibians-reptiles-connecticut.
Page updated March 2, 2025