Species
Blue Ridge two-lined salamander
Eurycea wilderae
A bright yellow-orange two-lined salamander of the mountain streams of north-east Georgia.
Photo Leila Dasher (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- Usually 6 to 10 cm long
- Habitat
- Mountain streams, seeps and the forests around them
- Diet
- Tiny invertebrates
- In Georgia
- The Blue Ridge of north-east Georgia
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Slim, bright yellow to orange, with two dark stripes along the back that often break into spots
- Told apart from
- Southern two-lined salamander, which is paler and lives farther south and west
- Where to look
- Under rocks at stream edges; on the forest floor on wet nights
Behaviour
It spends much of the year in the forest away from water and returns to streams to breed.
Why they matter
It is one of the most common salamanders of the southern Appalachians.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Attached under rocks in streams, guarded by the female
Hatching — In one to two months
Larvae — Aquatic for one to two years
Maturity — At two to three years
Lifespan — Several years
Breathing — Through the skin; no lungs
Living around people
- Stay on trails near mountain streams; the banks are its home.
Misconceptions
- All yellow salamanders are the same species. Georgia has several.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Under rocks in streams | Laying eggs | Laying eggs | Larvae hatching | Moving into the forest | In the forest | In the forest on wet nights | In the forest | Active | Returning to streams | Near streams | Under rocks |
Where it lives
Recorded in 5 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
If you found one
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