ID Please

[Species8472]

Bear hunting on the weekend and this guy took up residence in my blind:



Some type of salamander. He/she was about 3 inches long. I looked on line at the different types of salamanders found in Ontario but none of them seemed to quite fit the bill.

Supposedly the only type of salamanders in Ontario with 4 toes on their rear feet are mud puppies and the 4-toed salamander. This is definitely not a mud puppy and the colour and body shape are wrong for a 4-toed.

This is what a typical 4-toed looks like:



Source: https://www.ontarionature.org/protec...Salamander.jpg

Their trademark characteristics are 4 toes on the rear feet and a defined body segment at the base of their tails. My blind dweller seems to have 4 toes on the rear feet but the body segment is missing and the colour seems wrong.

[JUDGE]

I would saw it's a yellow one.

[yellow dog]

Yup and have come across a few over the years while living in Eastern Ontario.

[Gun Nut]

Their trademark characteristics are 4 toes on the rear feet and a defined body segment at the base of their tails. My blind dweller seems to have 4 toes on the rear feet but the body segment is missing and the colour seems wrong.[/QUOTE]
Here's a list of Ontario salamanders I'm sure if you start looking them up on the internet you'll be able to attach a name to it: good luck.
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Salamanders of Ontario:

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Ambystoma laterale - blue-spotted salamander
Ambystoma jeffersonianum - Jefferson salamander
Ambystoma jeffersonianum-laterale "complex" - Jefferson/blue-spotted salamander complex
Ambystoma jeffersonianum-laterale polyploids - Jefferson /blue-spotted salamander polyploids
Ambystoma maculatum - spotted salamander
Ambystoma texanum - smallmouth salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum - eastern tiger salamander
Desmognathus fuscus - northern dusky salamander
Eurycea bislineata - northern two-lined salamander
Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus - four-toed salamander
Necturus maculosus - common mudpuppy
Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis - central newt
Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens - red-spotted newt
Plethodon cinereus - northern redback salamander
Pseudotriton ruber ruber - northern red salamander

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
-Gun Nut

[mooboy76]

Any chance you got a picture of the ventral side?

I asked someone with a bunch of herp experience and he says it is likely an Eastern Redbacked Salamander, or possibly a Northern Two-Lined Salamander. Ventral side will clear it up.

What general area of Ontario was it in?

[Species8472]

Any chance you got a picture of the ventral side?

I asked someone with a bunch of herp experience and he says it is likely an Eastern Redbacked Salamander, or possibly a Northern Two-Lined Salamander. Ventral side will clear it up.

What general area of Ontario was it in?

General area was about 25 km NE of Huntsville. No pics of the sides - took some other pics but I was using my phone and none of the other pics focused as they were all very close range.

[mooboy76]

Looking it up, it does look quite a bit like one of these guys with a bit of flash over exposure.

https://www.ontarionature.org/protec...salamander.php

Range fits

https://www.ontarionature.org/dynami...a&type=squares

[Species8472]

Looking it up, it does look quite a bit like one of these guys with a bit of flash over exposure.

https://www.ontarionature.org/protec...salamander.php

Range fits

https://www.ontarionature.org/dynami...a&type=squares

I think that's it. The description indicates a red stripe but says it is sometimes brown or yellow. Between the acceptable colour ranges and the flash this guy fits the bill.

Thanks for the help.