Red backed?

You've got a redback salamander there. Plethodon cinereus in case you're into scientific names. Great pix.

Thank you! Cute little fella. I read up on them from the ID and I think it will be fine once the cold weather sets in. The site I was reading said they can climb and stake out a territory that has a good food source. It was down in the leaves with 100's of worms so it should be fattening up nicely. I hope to see more of these in the upcoming year! CT

Yep it will be fine when colder weather sets in. If you have some relatively flat rocks on your property lifting them to see what is hiding underneath will be a good place to look for more salamanders. They seem pretty cold tolerant. I've sometimes found them under flat dark rocks resting in the wet leaf litter or moist soil beneath the rock on days even when there are still significant patches of snow on the ground.

Thanks Wayne. There are some crevices that go under my outdoor cellar steps (step are concrete) and there has been some settling of the soil under there that left a rather large void (Next spring I ws going to fill the void with poured concrete) but now that there are salamanders under there I guess I cannot. I hope the steps don't cave in. LOL

When I first noticed the void 2 years back I did put load after load of clay soil that I had left over from digging my pond, and watered it in with the hose, and it looked filled for a year, but now I notice there is a hole there again, but I don't know how deep it goes. Seems to be the bottomless pit under there but a great place for reptiles and amphibians.

Here are two photos of a snake I often get in my cellar window well. They go after the frogs and toads that live there off and on all summer. In fact I was feeding a toad I named Mrs. Fowler (Fowler's Toad) that insisted on getting and staying in my window well. I was going to give her some crickets I bought and found this dude in there instead. Uhhh - I believe that is Mrs. Fowler inside the snake:-(

Eastern Garter Snake (4 to 5 foot long!)

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Photo of a young bullfrog and Southern Leopard Frog that were also down in the window well the day before the snake ate the toad. I took them out the day before and released them by the pond. The window well is a favorite place for frogs and toads in summer because it is cool, has leaves, and beetles/spiders. The problem is they can't get out because it is deep so I take them out only to have them return. I have tons of frogs and toads so they are a constant food source for the snakes. I would take Mrs. Fowler out of that window well over and over, along with other toads that would show up, but she would be back every time the next morning. Well, at least she enjoyed a fat and happy life while it lasted. There is no telling how many toads and frogs the snakes get that don't get in the window well. I guess I should maybe screen it over so nobody can get in there - yes, that is what I will do this spring, but it makes great habitat when it gets hot in summer. I've made one toad refuge in my garden by scooping out the soil and placing an overturned, clay birdbath basin. This is under a dense shrub. I've also made many brush piles and log piles out at the edge of my wooded area. It's a zoo on my property. LOL

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Edit note: I caught the snake and released it in the woods where it went off (a bit testy) to digest the toad.

I have to be careful where I release the little toads and frogs because I have a guantlet of really big bullfrogs that will eat them in a snap. One bully is 8" when sitting (I know he is a state record beating contender) and he has eaten sparrows before. He has also drowned full grown crackles but he can't eat them because they are too big it seems, but he does give a go at anything that moves. He even tried to attack and eat my pond vac hose! I can pick him up, and all the big frogs, if I start with my hand under the water, as opposed to reaching directly at them. They get to know you when you putz around the pond tending to the lilies and other plants, etc.

Comettose, when I posted my Mystery Tracks post, I saw your post and was reminded of a black, speckled with white salamander that I found the other day when I was picking up a big chunk of pine tree bark off the ground. I'm still doing hurricane (Katrina) clean-up in my 5 1/2 acres of woods. I went back today with camera in hand to see if it was still under the bark, and found two of them. I made their picture, and looked them up in my reptile book. They're Mississippi slimy salamanders/plethodon mississippi. It's not a good picture, because as soon as I lifted up the bark, they scooted! You can see the one in the lower right corner much better than the one in the upper left corner - that one had almost completely hidden itself by the time I snapped the picture. I put the bark back over them again - don't want them to get too much light! :)
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Sherry

Those are pretty, but have an ugly name for a salamander. Who wants to be called Slimy anything, except slugs, they deserve the name. LOL

CT