this is true however it should be noted that that trait is usually only noticeable on adult specimens during the breeding season. In Indiana it may or may not be too late to see it very well but my guess is that you should be able to. For the record, Spotted Salamanders spend most of the year underground in woodlands and come to the surface only during the breeding season. On rainy nights in early spring they come out and move to ponds or vernal pools to breed and in the process cross roads and lawns sometimes in large numbers. If the sun comes up or if it becomes to dry before the salamanders have made it to the breeding habitat or back to their summer home then they seek refuge under a log or anything really that offers cover that they can get under. Trashcans fit that bill and that is probably why your friend always finds them. This is a decent example of the swollen vent of an adult breeding male.

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