Long-tailed Salamander

Eurycea longicauda

A yellow-orange salamander with black spots whose tail makes up about 60 percent of its length.

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About the Long-tailed Salamander

Long-tailed salamanders are 4 to 8 inches long, and about 60 percent of that is tail. They are usually yellow, but can be red, orange or brown, with dark dots and dashes. They live from southern New York to northern Alabama and west to Missouri, in creek beds, caves, streams and ponds. Larvae live in water, while adults live in nearby woods. They eat small invertebrates.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Eurycea longicauda^[1]
Size: 4 to 8 inches long, about 60 percent tail.^[1]
Lifespan: About 10 years.^[1]
Diet: Small invertebrates.^[1]
Habitat: Creek beds, caves, streams and ponds, and nearby woods.^[1]
Where it lives: From southern New York to northern Alabama and west to Missouri.^[1]
Babies: 60 to 110 eggs laid under rocks in water.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021).^[2]

Fun facts

Its tail is about 60 percent of its length.^[1]
Long-tailed salamanders rub heads when courting.^[1]
Some live in caves.^[1]

Vocabulary

amphibian: A cold-blooded animal, such as a frog or salamander, that usually starts life in water and has moist skin.
larva: A young animal that looks very different from the adult, such as a tadpole.
courtship: Behavior animals use to attract a mate.
cold-blooded: Having a body temperature that changes with the surroundings; also called ectothermic.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Reptile Discovery CenterSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Long-tailed salamander.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/long-tailed-salamander (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Eurycea longicauda (Longtail Salamander).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/59268/196339466 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

More Salamanders

AxolotlAmbystoma mexicanumA Mexican salamander that keeps its feathery gills and stays in the water its whole life, famous for regrowing lost body parts.Barred Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma mavortiumOne of the longest land salamanders in North America, a striped burrower of western grasslands and deserts.California Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma californienseA big black salamander with yellow spots that lives in ground-squirrel burrows and breeds in seasonal pools in central California.Eastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescensA small newt with red, black-ringed spots that lives in water, then on land as a red 'eft,' then in water again.Eastern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon cinereusA small, lungless woodland salamander that breathes through its skin and can drop its tail to escape.Emperor NewtTylototriton shanjingA highly toxic, black-and-orange newt with bony head ridges from the mountains of western China.HellbenderCryptobranchus alleganiensisThe largest salamander in the Americas, a flat, wrinkly river giant that breathes mostly through its skin.Japanese Giant SalamanderAndrias japonicusThe world's second-largest salamander, a 5-foot river dweller from Japan that can live more than 70 years.Seal SalamanderDesmognathus monticolaA lungless stream salamander of the Appalachian Mountains that breathes through its skin and hides under rocks in shallow water.Shenandoah SalamanderPlethodon shenandoahOne of North America's rarest salamanders, found only on three mountaintops in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park.