Wild Guide: Eastern Long-Tailed Salamander

Eastern Long-Tailed Salamander

Eurycea longicauda longicauda

Status

Common

Size

Length: about 3½–6½ inches; occasionally to nearly 8 inches

Distribution

Southeastern Missouri

Missouri has two subspecies of the long-tailed salamander (Eurycea longicauda) — the eastern long-tailed salamander and the dark-sided salamander (E. longicauda melanopleura). The two look slightly different and can be found in different regions of the state. However, there is a zone where their ranges overlap, and intermediate forms occur in that zone. 

The eastern long-tailed salamander is medium-sized, slender, with a long tail. It’s usually yellow but may vary from greenish-yellow to orange-yellow. The belly is plain yellow and there are dark brown or black markings and spots along the back and sides. The tail has prominent dark vertical bars. This species usually lives under rocks or logs near streams, springs, and seepages in forested areas. It also frequently occurs in caves.

Life Cycle

Courtship occurs between November and early March within caves and in or near springs or creeks. Between December and March, females lay up to 100 eggs, deposited in single rows mostly in caves. The eggs hatch between four and 10 weeks, and the larvae are dark and aquatic (with gills). It may take one to two years to reach adulthood.

Ecosystem Connections

As predators, eastern long-tailed salamanders help control the population of insects and other creatures they eat. As prey, the adults, eggs, and young help feed larger predators. However, these salamanders are quite agile and can escape predators by using their tails for quick jumps. They also wave their tails to draw a predator’s attention away from their head. Their tails easily twist off if grasped by a predator, allowing the salamander to escape. Individuals without tails, or with partially regrown tails, are not uncommon.