The Habitat of a Four-toed Salamander

Four-toed salamanders, Hemidactylium scutatum, named for the four toes on their hind feet, distinguished from the five toes of other salamander species. They are small, usually between 2 and 4 inches long. Without lungs, these creatures breathe through their skin and the lining of the roofs of their mouths. Four-toed salamanders live in a variety of habitats; however, the adults are usually found under rocks, logs, leaves or moss.

  1. Summer

    • In the summer, four-toed salamanders live mainly in forested areas. Undisturbed closed-canopy forests provide the best conditions, as the four-toed salamander prefers a shaded, moist, forest floor with soil and woody debris. Four-toed salamanders tend to hide under objects, such as logs, bark and boards. They also tend to choose forests surrounded by swamps or other fish-free aquatic areas when breeding times occurs.

    Winter

    • In winter, four-toed salamanders will attempt to move into the ground. They overwinter, which means they burrow and wait out the cold winter season, while their regular activity almost completely ceases. Until the conditions warm up, four-toed salamanders protect themselves by moving into holes in the ground, lying under heavy, fallen bark, or searching for other crevices where they can hide. They often overwinter in groups.

    Breeding Times

    • When breeding, the four-toed salamanders will move to mossy areas by slow-moving streams. Females often lay eggs in a solitary nest and brood them, placing their eggs deep between moss plants beside the streams. When a female is ready to lay her eggs, she will normally turn upside-down so that her eggs attach to moss strands or other structures that may be hanging down.

    Larvae

    • When four-toed salamanders emerge from their eggs, they look like adult four-toed salamanders. However, the larvae have gills, and a keel running down the entire length of the back and tail. This is one of the reasons females lay their eggs so close to streams. Thus, the larvae move straight into the water, where they remain for approximately six weeks.