Species
Cave salamander
Eurycea lucifuga
A bright orange-red salamander with black spots that climbs the walls of cave entrances with its long tail.
Photo Ken-ichi Ueda (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- Usually 10 to 18 cm long
- Habitat
- The twilight zone of caves, and limestone springs and crevices
- Diet
- Insects, spiders and other small invertebrates
- In Georgia
- The limestone caves of northwest Georgia
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Orange to bright red with scattered black spots; very long tail it can grip with
- Told apart from
- Long-tailed salamander, which is more yellow with a herringbone tail
- Where to look
- On cave walls near the entrance
Behaviour
It climbs rock walls and ledges in the dim light near cave mouths, using its long tail to grip and balance.
Why they matter
It links cave and surface life, feeding on insects at cave entrances. It is sensitive to disturbance and pollution of caves.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Laid in cave pools and streams
Hatching — In winter
Larvae — Aquatic for several months
Maturity — At about two years
Lifespan — Over 10 years
Breathing — Through the skin; no lungs
Living around people
- Stay out of caves marked closed; people carry diseases and disturbance into them.
Misconceptions
- Cave animals are blind and pale. This one lives near the entrance and is brightly coloured.
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 | Deeper in caves | Deeper in caves | Active | Active | Active | Active | Active | Active | Laying eggs | Laying eggs | Eggs | Larvae hatching |
Where it lives
Recorded in 12 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
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