Red-backed Salamander

I was mushroom hunting when I spotted this salamander resting on top of a cortinar mushroom. It had a blackish gray body with a red stripe down the middle of its back. This salamander was about 6-7cm long. It seemed to relaxing without a care in the world.

comments (8)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Awesome scene! Often snails and stuff are staged onto a mushroom, nice to find a real scene in the wild. Posted 7 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks. These salamanders are super quick, and I was bummed to not get a clearer shot. I’ve seen salamanders on mushrooms numerous times, but they usually scurry away before I can get a shot. This one was just chilling out though and allowed me to take as many shots as I wanted to, so I have no excuse for the blur! Posted 7 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    I actually like the depth of field, and focus is on exactly the right part. Posted 7 years ago
  2. 1. Christine Young
      
      Lion
      
      Thanks Ferdy...It's hard for me to judge my own photos. They always seem worse than they are :P Posted 7 years ago
    2. 1. Ferdy Christant
        
        Lion
        
        I recently read an article explaining how the human brain is wired to underestimate one's own skill. So, there's that effect. Plus, photographers tend to raise their own bar as time goes by. What you thought was a great photo 3 years back now makes you frown.
        
        None of which is rooted in reality to the actual audience who think the photography is great. And in your case, excellent to world class. Posted 7 years ago
      2. Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        So true, and thank you. I often cringe when I look back at older photos. I find it nearly impossible to judge my own skill and I often find that shots I thought were awful aren't seen that way for others. Odd how our brain works. Posted 7 years ago

Barry

Lion

Great picture and perched on a mushroom is a really poetic touch - seems like Lewis Carroll or Tolkien. Posted 7 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks Barry, it was definitely an exciting find for me! Posted 7 years ago

The Red-backed salamander

The red-backed salamander is a species of small, hardy woodland salamander in the family Plethodontidae. The species inhabits wooded slopes in eastern North America, west to Missouri, south to North Carolina, and north from southern Quebec and the Maritime provinces in Canada to Minnesota.

Info 38 0

Similar species: Salamanders

Species identified by Christine Young