Wildlife Clinic

Species

Southeastern slimy salamander

Plethodon grobmani

A small slimy salamander of southwest Georgia's shady ravines and hammocks.

A southeastern slimy salamander on a weathered log in south-west Georgia, black with small white spots.

Photo John G. Phillips (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size
Usually 10 to 15 cm long
Habitat
Moist hardwood ravines, hammocks and floodplain forests
Diet
Small invertebrates
In Georgia
Southwest Georgia
Rabies vector
No

Identification

Key marks
Black with small white flecks, often with a greyish belly
Told apart from
Other slimy salamanders by where it lives
Where to look
Under logs in moist woods

Behaviour

It lives under logs and in leaf litter and comes out on wet nights to hunt.

Why they matter

It is part of the rich salamander life of the ravines near the Apalachicola and Flint rivers.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Eggs — Laid in moist cavities and guarded by the female
Hatching — As tiny copies of the adults
Young — No aquatic stage
Maturity — At a few years
Lifespan — Many years
Breathing — Through the skin; no lungs

Living around people

  • Leave fallen logs in shady woods; they are its homes.

Misconceptions

  • Salamanders need to live in water. This one never enters it.

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.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BreedingJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
Active nestsJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
NotesActive on mild wet nightsActive on wet nightsActiveActiveActiveLaying eggsUnderground in dry weatherUnderground in dry weatherYoung hatchingActive on wet nightsActive on wet nightsActive on mild nights

Where it lives

Recorded in 3 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

If you found one

Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.

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