Southern Two-Lined Salamander
Eurycea cirrigera

Southern two-lined salamanders are small and slender and vary from appearing bright yellow to a rusty orange color. There are two black stripes that run from the head down the body and well onto the tail. These lines are usually not as well defined as those of their relatives to the north, the Blue Ridge two-lined salamander (E. wilderae). Rather, the lines are frequently sharply defined near the dorsum but are much less so on the ventral margin. The tail is fairly long, comprising about half the animal's total length. Southern two-lined salamanders are rarely seen in the summer, but may by found along the banks of free-flowing creeks and streams during other times of the year. Males can be distinguished most of the year (fall to spring) by the presence of cirri (hence the scientific name), fleshy downward protuberances from the upper lip resembling a moustache, perhaps. The cirri are thought to help the male detect chemical signals from females, and maybe even competing males, during the breeding season. Females lay their eggs beneath rocks in streams and most often stay to guard the clutch. After hatching, larvae stay in the stream for at least a year or two before metamorphosing and becoming semi-terrestrial adults.