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Northern Slimy Salamander
Plethodon glutinosus
A terrestrial salamander from eastern North America, featuring a glossy black body flecked with silvery white. Noted for secreting an incredibly sticky skin mucus.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Plethodontidae
Subfamily:Plethodontinae
Genus:Plethodon
Species:Plethodon glutinosus
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Water Temperature
10 - 18 °C
pH Value
6.5 - 7.5
Environment
Freshwater / Semi-aquatic
Humidity
80 - 100 %
Day temperature
15 - 20 °C
Night temperature
10 - 14 °C
Ambient temperature
15 - 20 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the eastern and southeastern United States. They inhabit damp deciduous forests, rocky hillsides, and ravines, sheltering under rotting logs, moist leaf litter, and large stones.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belonging to the family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders). They lack lungs and breathe entirely through their skin and mouth lining.
Behavior and Habits: Strictly nocturnal and terrestrial. They remain hidden during the day and emerge on humid or rainy nights to hunt. If threatened, they secrete an extremely sticky, glue-like white mucus from their skin glands.
Morphology: Reaches 12–17 cm in length. Both sexes are morphologically similar. During the breeding season, males develop a distinct mental gland (a small, circular patch) on the chin.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A horizontal forest enclosure (minimum 60x45x30 cm) is required. Provide a damp substrate of organic soil, topped with a thick layer of sphagnum moss and leaf litter. Decorate with rotting logs and flat stones.
Lighting and Heating: Keep temperatures cool, between 15 and 20°C. Temperatures above 24°C are quickly fatal. No heating is required; keep in a cool room. Provide low, indirect ambient lighting. No UVB is necessary.
Humidity and Hydration: Requires high humidity levels of 75–90%. Spray the terrarium regularly with cool, dechlorinated water. The substrate must remain damp but not waterlogged.
Feeding and Supplementation: Feed on small invertebrates: small crickets, chopped earthworms, isopods, and fruit flies. Dust prey with calcium and vitamins twice a week.
Compatibility: Peaceful. Can be kept in small groups of similarly sized individuals in spacious, well-decorated setups.
Health and Common Diseases: Heat stroke is the primary threat in captivity. Maintain cool temperatures and clean conditions to prevent fungal and bacterial skin infections. Handle only with wet, powder-free gloves.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to the eastern and southeastern United States. They inhabit damp deciduous forests, rocky hillsides, and ravines, sheltering under rotting logs, moist leaf litter, and large stones.
Origin
Central America and CaribbeanNorth America
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 20.6 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 20.6 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 20.6 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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