SUNY Cortland Herpetology Connection

Cortland Herpetology Connection

Salamander Key

See also species distribution maps at the New York State
Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project website.

Key to the families of adult salamanders in New York
1.a.	External gills present	Proteidae
1.b.	No external gills	2
2.a.	Gill slits present	Cryptobranchidae
2.b.	No gill slits present	3
3.a.	Costal grooves present	4
3.b.	No costal grooves	Salamandridae
4.a.	Nasolabial grooves present	Plethodontidae
4.b.	No nasolabial grooves	Ambystomatidae
Key to the species of the family Proteidae of New York
1.a.	Only species found in New York	Mudpuppy Necturus maculosus
Key to the species of the family Cryptobranchidae of New York
1.a.	Only species found in New York	Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
Key to the species of the family Salamandridae of New York
1.a.	Only species found in New York	Red-spotted newt Notophthalmus viridescens
Key to the species of the family Ambystomatidae of New York
1.a.	Yellow spots or blotches on a dark body	2
1.b.	No yellow spots	3
2.a.	Spots arranged in 2 rows on back, tail generally round, chin white or gray but not yellow	Spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum
2.b.	Spots numerous, tail taller than wide, chin yellow	Eastern tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum
3.a.	Bold white or silver crossbands on back, belly dark	Marbled salamander Ambystoma opacum
3.b.	No bold white crossbands, often light blue or silver flecking on sides, belly gray	Jefferson/Bluespotted complex Ambystoma jeffersonianum- A. laterale
Key to the species of the family Plethodontidae of New York
1.a.	Light line from eye toward angle of jaws	2
1.b.	No light line, hind limbs distinctly thicker than forelimbs	3
2.a.	Tail rounded in cross section	Mountain dusky salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus
2.b.	Tail with distinct dorsal keel	Northern dusky salamander Desmognathus fuscus
3.a.	Four toes on hind feet	Four-toed salamander Hemidactylium scutatum
3.b.	Five toes on hind feet	4
4.a.	Body with dorsal red stripe, sides dark	Redback salamander Plethodon cinereus
4.b.	No red stripe	5
5.a.	Yellow under tail, two dark stripes bordering a yellow/tan/gold dorsal stripe, belly white or yellow	Northern two-lined salamander Eurycea bislineata
5.b.	Not as in 5a	6
6.a.	Body all orange, pink, red, or purple	7
6.b.	Body brown, grey, black	9
7.a.	Acanthal ridge and light line from eye to nostril, body pink, salmon, or purple	Northern spring salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus
7.b.	No ridge or line from eye to nostril	8
8.a.	Body orange, red or purple with numerous small black spots, tail short and thick	Northern red salamander Pseudotriton ruber
8.b.	Body orange or yellow orange, tail long and thin, dark spots on body and dark vertical bars on tail	Longtail salamander Eurycea longicauda
9.a.	Costal grooves = 19, limbs small, belly mottled	Redback salamander Plethodon cinereus
9.b.	Less than 19 costal grooves, limbs moderate	10
10.a.	Bright white spots scattered over dark body, throat grayish, 16 costal grooves	Slimy salamander Plethodon glutinosus
10.b.	Dark body with light flecking on sides, throat light, usually 17 costal grooves	Wehrle's salamander Plethodon wehrlei