Salamanders Found in Louisiana

With its numerous wetland habitats, Louisiana is a superb home for a number of amphibian species. The state is home to 23 different species of salamander from several different families. The native species are found in a range of habitats and vary from being fully aquatic to fully terrestrial or a mixture of the two.

  1. Woodland Salamanders

    • Louisiana is home to four species of woodland, or slimy salamanders, which belong to the genus plethodon. The Louisiana slimy salamander is found in the north part of the state, while the Mississippi slimy salamander is found in the southern regions. The southern red-backed salamander is found in a few counties of the north-central region of the state. Websters salamander is less common in the state and is found in just a few central-eastern counties.

    Fully Aquatic Salamanders

    • Some species in the state are adapted to a fully aquatic lifestyle. The two- and three-toed amphiuma are long, slender salamanders with no rear legs, as is the lesser siren. The three-toed and lesser siren are common statewide, while the two-toed is found only in the southeast part of the state. Mudpuppies get their name from the barking sounds they make and Louisiana is home to both the gulf coast water dog and the mudpuppy. Both are found in the center of the state.

    Mole Salamanders

    • Mole salamanders are so called because they dig burrows and Louisiana is home to five species in this family. The spotted salamander is common in Louisiana as are the mole, marbled and small mouthed salamanders. The other member from the mole salamander family is the tiger salamander, which is found in only a few counties in the western part of the state.

    Brook and Dusky Salamanders

    • Brook salamanders are species that prefer slow-moving, cool water. Three species from this family live in the state. The southern two-lined salamander is found in southern Louisiana as is the three-lined variety. The dwarf salamander is also a native species and can be found almost statewide. Dusky salamanders belong to the genus desmognathus and are represented by two species in the state. The southern dusky is found statewide, while the spotted dusky is more common in the north of the state.

    Other Salamanders

    • The other four native species in the state belong to different generas. The mud and red salamanders are both mud salamanders and live in areas with soft mud where they burrow. The four-toed salamander is a rare species in the state and only lives in the extreme southeast. The eastern newt is found commonly throughout the state.