Western Red-backed Salamander: a jewel in the mosses

One of the fun things about exploring our region is that you never know what you will find. A few summers back, we visited Mt. Cheam, near Chilliwack, BC. We could only drive part way up because of the rough, deeply rutted road, so we stopped and tried our best to stay cool. We took a break and sat down in a mossy, shady patch beneath a western red cedar tree. A flash of colour caught our eye and we saw a tiny salamander trundling across the moss beside us. It was a Western Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon vehiculum).

We don't see salamanders very often. You usually have to search for them under logs and other debris that retain moisture and create the microhabitat that they prefer. It was great to see this one out and about. It was typical habitat. This is a species of mature and old-growth forests that doesn't do well in the open or in clear cut areas where the air is drier. It is a lungless species of salamander that breathes through its skin, so needs moist air to keep its skin moist so it can breath.We assumed it was hunting for spiders or mites or small insects. This species has a very small home range of only a few square meters so it wouldn't go far, but even in this small area it would find a good food supply.


The Western Red-backed Salamander has a restricted range in BC, and is found only in the southwestern portion of the province, on Vancouver Island and the southwestern corner of the mainland. It is found in the Fraser Valley as far west as Hope, and then north to Pemberton.


Notes:

Species in this genus are known to live for more than ten years, according to Matsuda et al. (Amphibians and Reptiles of British Columbia). All in a tiny little spot.