Newts/salamanders in NY?

wpken · Nov 22, 2009

I'm curious is all, when i was younger i lived in a house in which my backyard had a big lof underneath, my mom turned it over after me nagging her for forever. she screams "snaaaaake!" and i say "..uuhhh uhhh nuh uh! its a salamander?!" because i wasnt sure. It was pretty much a bright red on the top i belive with a bright blue on the underside, with big black speckling along its back, im not too sure on the colourations but it should be right. if someone could pass along a list to me so i can figure out what kind it was, or if you know what species of sal/newt it was you could just tell me that also:wacko:

Azhael · Nov 22, 2009

Sounds to me like Plethodon cinereus.

wpken · Nov 22, 2009

eh thanks for a suggestion, but that looks more like an orange, the colors are actually more like the colors of the american flag, minus the white, and i mean literally that bright. if there are species that live specifically on long island, include themselves on long island i hope that would help, my research has so far shown fruitless

michael · Nov 22, 2009

Are you sure it wasn't Pseudotriton ruber?

wpken · Nov 22, 2009

gentlemen, i may hve made a species discovery! haha ive been through every single species that has a picture on the Caudata Culture species list, it may exist without a photo, which would probably be easy to get seeing as my uncle gets them under his shed every year around this time, lets hope he still has his shed back there. also i meant to say the sal/newt had bright blue limbs, with a black underbelly possibly, with the black stretching onto his back via spots but other wise he has a BRIGHT RED back and i mean bright red, not light such as an orange, but bright red http://www.giftforfathersday.co.uk/gifts/images/bright%20red%20pearl%20web.jpg with a jet black belly, i must say i hope i gave an accurate description, its been like 6-8 years ago.

Greatwtehunter · Nov 23, 2009

Given the description and your location there are only 3 good possibilities with a fourth being a very long shot. The 3 main candidates are Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus, Pseudotriton ruber ruber, and Plethodon cinereus (most likely). Now I have seen Hemidatcylum scutatum with a reddish back and a slight blue tint to their legs but they have white bellys.

Kaysie · Nov 23, 2009

Frankly it sounds like a 5-lined skink to me.

Azhael · Nov 23, 2009

xDDD I think Kaysie may be right, if not in the specific skink(i have no idea), at least in the fact that the animal was not a caudate.

wpken · Nov 23, 2009

im sorry but this is funny, i've actually created a little bit of a surge, although azhael may be right, im almost positive that it was a caudate, but it could be something else on the island and slimy, with four legs..and a broad jaw. Ruber would be the most likely candidate, if it had a blue underside or any blue, either way its been bugging me so much, and i hope its not bugging many of you too much either but hey we will get it done, when my mom gets home ill ask her if she can call her brother and ask him if hes been seeing those lil' guys in his backyard recently.

Nathan050793 · Nov 23, 2009

I think Kaysie may be right. Are you sure it's not a skink? They look deceptively similar to caudates.http://media-7.paradefiles.com/kevi...MG_1287 4x6 crop --_fhdr_jpg_1050x700_q85.jpg

Otherwise, your description sounds like P. cinereus to me.

wpken · Nov 23, 2009

if theres a skink with a broad mouth, then it may be a skink but the unkown creature has a broad jaw so i doubt its a skink, dont worry im looking into things too, but you know i dont know how to look as well as ya'll

Azhael · Nov 23, 2009

I´m afraid the best way and perhaps the only way for us to help is if you manage to get a photo. I´m positive if you do, we´ll be able to identify it.

wpken · Nov 23, 2009

yes az, it will definitely end the conflict, but thats the problem, i moved out of that house, so i have to wait to get in touch with my uncle and then im not sure if hes got his shed set up the same way, for all our sakes lets hope hes got them still, or lets hope he knows what they are. I also am very poor at finding things like this

wpken · Nov 23, 2009

so i contacted my uncle, and he is going to check around his yard tomorrow(tuesday) to see if there are any, and hes going to try and get it in a tup-aware to take some pics of it, whether he is bringing it to me or not i am not sure. Either way he is going to be trying to email me pics of it

Azhael · Nov 23, 2009

Make sure to have a positive ID on the animal before your uncle thinks about sending it to you or keeping it, because it may be a protected species. I don´t necessarily object against putting the animal in an enclosure for some quick photos (although it can be illegal depending on the location and status of conservation of a species).

wpken · Nov 24, 2009

if we had a positive ID on the animal, i wouldnt have started this thread -_-

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