Caudata Plethodon dorsalis -- Northern Zigzag Salamander
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Caudata Plethodon dorsalis -- Northern Zigzag Salamander |
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Search for another IL amphibian or reptile Search for IL amphibians & reptiles by county Go to the INHS Amphibian & Reptile Collection homepage Search the INHS collections data for amphibians & reptiles Search the INHS Type Specimen Data for amphibians & reptiles |  
Purple shade indicates vouchered specimens. Light blue (cyan)
shade indicates photographic records. Yellow shade indicates verified
sighting. |
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Key Characters: Reddish or yellowish back stripe broadly zig-zagged (east), or narrow and straight edged (west); orange marks around bases of front legs. Similar Species: Four-toed salamander, juvenile dusky salamander, redback salamander. Subspecies: Eastern zigzag salamander, P. d. dorsalis. Description: A slender salamander (up to 11 cm TL) similar to the redback salamander, but not quite as dark. Costal grooves 17-18. Black and white belly markings. Striking geographic variation in back stripe that extends from head to tail tip: in eastern counties, it is a broad reddish (sometimes yellow) zigzag or has wavy edges; in some individuals, it is yellow, gray, or black. In counties bordering the Mississippi River, the back stripe is narrower, nearly straight sided, and either red or absent (lead phase). Habitat: Moist, rocky forests. Seasonally abundant in woodlands around rocky springs and cave entrances. Natural History: In late autumn and spring, during rainy periods, it may be abundant under rocks on forested hillsides. During mid-summer, individuals move deeper into soil, sometimes encountering moist cave passages where they accumulate in large numbers. Females have been observed brooding eggs in rock crevices in a southern Illinois cave June through September. Status: No current concerns (see distribution map, above). |
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