The Long-toed Salamander is dark gray in colour with a greenish irregular stripe down its back. They typically grow to 12 cm in length. Salamanders are seldom seen, spending their time under rocks or logs, and feeding on invertebrates and insects. They breed early in the year in shallow water, attaching their brown and white eggs singly or in groups to a stem, leaf or stones. The larval stage of the salamander's life cycle is distinguished by feathered gills and long tail fin. One of only two salamanders found in the interior of BC, it was given the name "long-toed" due to a long fourth toe that distinguishes this species from others.
This toad can be a variety of colours, but all always has a thin pale stripe down the back and dry, bumpy skin. Eggs are laid in long strings of jelly and, once hatched, the tadpoles stay together in huge swarms as long as 100 m. Toadlets may be found by the thousands around the edges of ponds as they leave the water to find places to over winter underground. When picked up, a toad may twitter or grunt, and may puff itself up or secrete a bitter poison.
Want to find out about species at risk in closed coniferous patches?Go to Species at Risk
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