Eastern Red-Backed Salamander
Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818)
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Order | Caudata |
| Family | Plethodontidae |
| Genus | Plethodon |
| Species | Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818) |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Trogloxene
- Realm
- Terrestrial
Distribution
Range
Known from three counties across two states.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Indiana, Ohio
Counties
- Indiana
- Lawrence, Monroe
- Ohio
- Hocking
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
LC Least Concern
Assessed in 2022.
NatureServe
G5 Secure
National ranks
- Canada
- N5 Secure
- United States
- N5 Secure
Subnational ranks
- Quebec
- S5 Secure
- Prince Edward Island
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Ontario
- S5 Secure
- Nova Scotia
- S5 Secure
- New Brunswick
- S5 Secure
- New York
- S5 Secure
- Tennessee
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Pennsylvania
- S5 Secure
- Ohio
- SNR Unranked
- Illinois
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Rhode Island
- S5 Secure
- Virginia
- S5 Secure
- Vermont
- S5 Secure
- Wisconsin
- S4 Apparently Secure
- New Jersey
- S5 Secure
- Maine
- S5 Secure
- New Hampshire
- S5 Secure
- West Virginia
- S5 Secure
- Kentucky
- S2 Imperiled
- Delaware
- S5 Secure
- Maryland
- S5 Secure
- District of Columbia
- S5 Secure
- Connecticut
- S5 Secure
- Michigan
- S5 Secure
- Massachusetts
- S5 Secure
- North Carolina
- S5 Secure
- Indiana
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Minnesota
- S4 Apparently Secure
Ranks looked up 15 July 2026. Conservation status changes, and a rank here is as current as that date and no more.
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
References
- Banta, A.M. 1907. The fauna of Mayfield's Cave. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication 67: 1–114. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/60987. details
- Seibert, H.C. & Brandon, R.A. 1960. The salamanders of southeastern Ohio. Ohio Journal of Science 60: 291–303. https://kb.osu.edu/bitstreams/1a8cbbb7–8184–5987–9c09-ac703d8485b9/download. details
This account was last revised 6 September 2026. Conservation ranks were looked up 15 July 2026.
How to cite this account
Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818). Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-1921. https://cavebiology.org/species/plethodon-cinereus/ (accessed 22 October 2026).
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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