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Four-Toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) Prior to the Maine Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project, the diminutive four-toed salamander claimed the dual titles of Maine's least known and smallest amphibian. In the late 1930s, a George Washington University biologist reported a single four-toed salamander from the YMCA camp on the shores of Lake Cobbosseecontee (Fowler 1942). This remained the only known specimen in Maine for about 20 years until a second one was found in 1958 at Salisbury Cove on Mt. Desert Island. It was 1976 before the third was found in the town of Dedham and the fourth in Old Town (Burgason and Davis 1978). Nevertheless, many herpetologists expected it to be more widespread, due to its known occurrence south of Maine and in Nova Scotia to our east, and considered Maine simply a gap in our knowledge, not a gap in the four-toed's range. So it was not surprising that during the first 3 years of MARAP, the number of towns with documented records for four-toeds tripled from 4 to 12. Even though four-toeds can no longer be considered a great rarity, they are still Maine's smallest terrestrial vertebrate and our most difficult-to-find amphibian. Description: Four-toed salamanders are easily identified by 3 distinctive characteristics. First, as its name implies, this salamander has only 4 toes on the hind feet, unlike most of the plethodontid salamanders which have 5. (Maine's only other "four-toed" salamander is the exotic mudpuppy.) Second, the tail has a very distinct basal constriction. This is generally where the tail will break off when the salamander is grabbed by a predator. Third, the belly is like a bright white enamel speckled with black. The dorsal coloration is reddish-brown, fading to a gray or almost black color along the sides with the white belly covered with black speckles the size and shape of coarsely ground pepper. The larvae have a keeled tail that is continuous with the back keel--a unique condition among plethodontid salamanders. A short, wide, dark bar on the side of the head joins the eye and gills. The males vary from 5 to 7.6 cm (2-3") in total length, averaging 6.5 cm (2.6"). Females are slightly larger, varying from 6.2 to 8.9 cm (2.4-3.5") and averaging 7.5 cm (3").The head of the female is described as broadly rounded versus the squarely truncate shape of the male. |
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