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I went to a picnic today and we found Salamanders, Newts, and Toads. I have a field guide, and was able to identify everything except one. I read in a below post that you should not handle Salamanders. I did not know that before reading it just now. I hope I did not make any of these animals sick. Next time I will just take pictures of them on the ground. Location wise we were in upstate NY about an hour south of Buffalo.

This is the one I could not identify. I have two thoughts but hard to tell from the pictures in my guide. One thought is it's a Lead Backed phase of the Red Backed Salamander, or maybe a Dusky. Or it's something totally different that I didn't catch in the guide. I did not flip it over so don't know what it's belly looked like.

Another picture

Last one

This was my first time trying to identify Salamanders from a guide. I think I got the rest of them right...

I think this is a Red Backed Salamander

This looked like a Spotted Salamander

Another pic

Some Red Spotted Newts (Efts)

An interesting Centipede

Eggs?

American Toad (loved the stripe on this one)

There are more pics on my website under "wildlife". Hoping you can ID the "mystery" salamander for me! Thanks!

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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snakes (Suezo)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

Hi there:

I think you may have a hybrid there between a redback and another species of "slimy salamander." It definately has the tail of Plethdon Cinerus, as well as the overall body form. However, the area from the head down is amazingly odd in its coloration.
The redbacked salamander occurs in 4 color morphs; regular redback, the "leadback'" with all dark coloration, an "all red" morph, similar to a red eft, and of course, the albino. Maybe the redback, leadback and all red morphs crossed? The coloration almost looks like a neotropical Bolitoglassa! Wierd!
It could indeed be a hybrid, as you did find a regular redback in the same area.
That is a beautiful toad, that actually looks like it may be the less common Fowler's toad. My identification notes describe it as being smaller the American, darker in color, having many smaller more numerous "warts" on the body, and a very white stripe down the back...
Oh well, see you at the next meeting. My little Pygmy leaf chameleons gave birth to three live young!

DAVE

Its a member of the Desmognathus ochropheus complex.

The species will depend on where in the range it was captured.

Ed