Name: Dunn's Salamander (Plethodon dunni)
Order: Salamanders (Caudata)
Family: Lungless Salamanders (Plethodontidae)

What they look like

• 5-8cm
• Dark brown or black on their backs with tannish spots and small white specks.
• Have a yellowish/greenish or brown stripe along their backs that stops before the end of their tail.
• Underside is dark and can have lightest spots
• Tops of their legs are lighter colored, usually yellow.

Where they live

• View a map of where they live.
• They are found in Southwestern region of Washington state.
• Dunn's Salamanders are most often found under rocks in wet shaded areas on the edges of streams in forests.

Breeding

• Breeding season is spring and early summer.
• Eggs are laid in underground lairs and protected by the females.
• There is no larval stage, the eggs hatch into tiny fully formed salamanders.
• Young Dunn’s usually have brighter markings than adults and the stripe on their back may reach the end of the tail.

Cool Biology Facts

• Male has two small lobes near its vent and a large mental gland on their chin that is used during courtship for the release of chemical cues.
• Do not have lungs and breathe only through their skin.
• Larvae do not have gills and are exclusively terrestrial.
• When disturbed they will either rapidly scurry away or sometimes will become completely motionless to avoid being seen.

Threats

• Main threats include logging and changes to its habitat that affect moisture levels. View their status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.