Allegheny Dusky Salamander
(Desmognathus ochrophaeus)
The Allegheny Dusky Salamander measures 2.75 - 4.5 inches in length. They can be highly variable in their color and pattern. They can range in color from gray, brown, olive, yellow or even orange and always has a light colored stripe from their eye to their jaw. There is generally a broad strip down the back to the tail with "V" shapes.
This dusky salamander will breed anytime between spring and fall. Females will lay a grape-like egg mass of 12 - 24 eggs that are usually attached to moss or a rotting log near water. The female will usually guard the nest location as well. Larvae hatch in the summer or fall and are about 1/2 inch in size. They transform 2 - 8 months later and are about 1 inch long at that point.
The Allegheny Dusky Salamander can often be found in higher elevations of 600 to 6,500 feet where they prefer cooler moist floors of evergreen forests. In lower elevations they can be found springs, streams and seepages. They have also been found among cliff faces as well. In winter populations will often congregate around seepages and steam-heads. These areas will often act as brooding grounds for females and a habitat for larvae. They eat small flies, beetles, mites and other small insects.