About Plethodon vehiculum (Cooper, 1860)
Plethodon vehiculum, commonly called the western red-backed salamander, has a slender body with relatively short limbs. Adult individuals have an average snout-to-vent length of 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5.1 cm), and an average total length (including the tail) of 3 to 4.5 inches (7.6 to 11.4 cm). A colored stripe runs along its back, extending from the front of the head all the way to the tip of the tail. The stripe's color is highly variable: it is most commonly reddish orange, but can also be bright yellow, and cases of melanism have been recorded for this species. The western red-backed salamander's range extends from southwestern Oregon in the United States to southwestern British Columbia in Canada. Within this range, it occurs from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Coast, and it has also been found on Vancouver Island. This species occupies a variety of habitats, including temperate forests, rocky talus slopes, and riparian areas.
