Identification
The Four-toed Salamander is a relatively small salamander with adults typically only reaching lengths of 2 to 3.5 inches (5 to 10cm). As its name implies, the Four-toed Salamander can be readily identified from the presence of only four toes on each hind foot. Most other salamander species have five hind toes. Other distinguishing features of this species include a milk white belly that is peppered with black markings and a conspicuous constriction at the base of the tail. The dorsal surface is usually reddish-brown and its sides are typically grayish.

The upper surface of an animalDistribution and Status

The Four-toed Salamander's distribution is patchy across much of its range. The most continuous distribution extends from Maine west to southeastern Ontario and south through the middle of Ohio to northern Georgia. In the Great Lakes region, the Four-toed Salamander is found at sites across much of Michigan and Wisconsin into northeastern Illinois, northern Indiana and northern Ohio. Disjunct populations are also scattered south towards the Gulf of Mexico and further north in Canada (US distribution map; Midwest distribution map). The Four-toed Salamander is a species of concern in all of the Midwestern states in which it resides. Even in Michigan and Wisconsin, where the range looks continuous, habitat destruction has likely restricted extant (not extinct) populations to small, isolated areas of suitable habitat. The Four-toed Salamander is listed as Endangered in Indiana, Threatened in Illinois, it is a species of Special Concern in Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, and it is a species of long term concern in Missouri. In Michigan the species is uncommon and its distribution is likely isolated in localized areas. The Four-toed Salamander is not found in Iowa. Click HERE for state by state status descriptions.

Ecology
Four-toed Salamanders prefer undisturbed, moist, deciduous, evergreen or mixed forests in close proximity to suitable breeding habitat. These areas include shallow, shaded pools and seeps, creeks, swamps and bogs. In summer, Four-toed Salamanders inhabit the forest, but during spring females migrate to forest breeding pools. The females nest in moss mats on the margins of these aquatic areas. When a female is ready to lay her eggs she normally turns upside down and lays her eggs in such a way that they attach to moss strands or other structures that may be hanging down. This process is aided by the eggs which are coated in a sticky material that helps them adhere to these hanging surfaces, or to other eggs. Proving to be an amazing animal, as well as hanging upside down to deposit their eggs, researchers have documented female Four-toed Salamanders taking between 12 and 72 hours to finish laying their clutch of eggs. Wow!

A plant community growing in wet, acidic areas. Decomposition is very slow in these areas and as a result peat, a layer of partially broken down plant material, develops. Plants growing in these areas are very specialized as nutrient levels are quite low. These are small, ephemeral (temporary) wetlands that form in depressions in the landscape where impermeable soils such as clay cause rain water to pool. Strictly speaking, vernal implies spring filling. However, the term is often more broadly used to refer to any ephemeral wetland. Plants found in these areas are unique as they must be able to exist in both dry and flooded conditions. Because these wetlands are temporary they do dry out and as a consequence they are devoid of fish.Threats and Management Issues
Four-toed Salamanders prefer forested habitats that contain suitable breeding sites, including slow-moving forest streams, marshes, bogs, vernal pools, and swamps. These areas are often scattered throughout forests and occur in small pockets. Because of these requirements, wide spread habitat loss such as land clearing from agricultural and urban development can destroy or isolate these areas. Conservation and management plans for the Four-toed Salamander need to prioritize the preservation of important breeding areas as well as maintaining or restoring natural corridors to adjacent forested habitat. Techniques and recommendations for managing land for amphibians, such as the Four-toed Salamander, can be found in the Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwest.

Resources
General reference guides and websites.

Reference guides and websites specific to Amphibians.

Links to more information on Four-toed Salamander outside the Herp Center

Four-toed Salamander - Information presented in a simple level

Reptiles and Amphibians of Minnesota: Four-toed Salamander - Similar to this page

Herps of Connecticut: A Project of Herpetology 209, Yale University: Four-toed Salamander - Contains detailed information and other Four-toed Salamander links, yet the large text on the site nevertheless distracting

Bruce Kingsbury, Director

Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management

Science Building

Indiana-Purdue University

2101 East Coliseum Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499

herps@ipfw.edu