Wandering salamander

Description

The wandering salamander is very similar in appearance to the clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus) and was at one time considered to be the same species.It is long and slender and grows to a snout to vent length of 3 inches (76 mm) and a total length of 5 inches (130 mm).The head is broader in males than in females.Between the nostrils and the mouth it has a pair of naso-labial grooves which are involved in chemoreception and it has sixteen costal grooves on either side of the body.The legs are relatively long and the toes have expanded terminal pads with square cut ends.The tail is prehensile and is round in cross section and used when the salamander clambers around among the branches of trees.The back varies in colour from brown to light grey,mottled or marbled and speckled with bronze flecks.It sometimes has a greenish sheen.The juveniles have a bronze stripe down the spine.