Earlier today, our herp class went on a trip to the Quarry at Hueston Woods, which is about ten minutes outside Oxford, OH. What started out as a cold rainy day eventually warmed up, which led us to find a bunch of different species around a river. While searching among the stones and logs off the shore of the river I uncovered this longtail salamander (Eurycea longicauda). When I first lifted the rock he was resting under, I thought it was a southern two lined salamander, since they are about as common as mud around here. However, when I picked him up, I noticed the characteristic spotting pattern and realized it was the longtail. He was about 4 1/2 inches long with a brown/orange base color and black spotting pattern.
The longtail salamander is typically found along streams, where they tend to hide among rocks and logs. They are identified by their long tails and characteristic spotting pattern. They lay their eggs amongst rocks and around caves, and the larvae usually take about 1 year to fully metamorphose.
(Matt O'Toole, Miami University)
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