Red-Backed Salamander Diet

Red-backed salamanders make the deciduous forests of eastern North America home. The amphibians hunt for prey under rocks, fallen leaves and on trees in moist landscapes, according to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Once food presents itself, don't expect this amphibian to share. Red-backed salamanders will secrete noxious substances from their skin and aggressively defend their territory and prey.

  1. Habits

    • Red-backed salamanders create a perimeter of feces pellets and scent markers around their living and hunting territory. This technique protects the amphibian's limited food supply when moisture levels dip below the norm. When extremely dry weather conditions plague the area, red-backed salamanders allow young biologically-related salamanders to encroach on their territory to feed.

    Hunting

    • After a daytime rain, nocturnal salamanders wake from their slumber to roam among fallen leaves and grasses of the forest floor looking for food. Red-backed salamanders catch prey with a fast, forward thrusting motion of their tongues, according to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. In the evening salamanders will climb trees and plants in search of food.

    Types

    • Invertebrates top a red-backed salamander's menu. Their diet includes insects, centipedes, millipedes, earthworms, small flies, larvae, mites, snails, ants and spiders. Davidson College's Herpetology Department reports red-backed salamanders cannibalize juvenile salamanders or the eggs of small mammals and birds. Larger five-inch long salamanders may consume tree frogs and tadpoles.

    Style

    • During moist weather conditions the amphibians gorge themselves on plentiful food sources. This method of pulse feeding among red-backed salamanders allows them to ration food nutrients for use during times of drought. Since the salamanders don't have lungs, they hunt prey in moist areas to allow for continued respiration through the skin. When the forest floor dries, the amphibians retreat to the damp underside of fallen trees or hallow rocks and wait for food to come to them.

    Location

    • Soil content effects the hunting capabilities of the red-backed salamander. Acidic soils disrupt the sodium balance in salamanders. Forest areas and creek beds near chemically treated farm fields and lawns create hazardous conditions for the red-backed salamander. Soil levels of 3.7pH or lower will not support the feeding habits of red-backed salamanders.