Slimy Salamander
Plethodon glutinosus complex

The slimy salamander (Plethodon glutinosus) complex is a group of many very similar species of salamanders, distributed throughout eastern North America. All slimy salamanders are morphologically similar, being a deep dark blue to black, usually with whitish spots. The size and number of spots vary both within and among species in the complex. In most areas of South Carolina and Georgia they are usually black with medium-sized white spots along the sides and with smaller and more widely spaced flecks on the back. The other character that all "slimies" have in common is the fact that their skin secretions are extremely sticky. The skin secretions, a defensive mechanism, may become stuck to the skin of collectors, not to mention the mouths of would-be predators, and require strenuous scrubbing to remove. Plethodon glutinosus has no aquatic larval phase. Eggs hatch directly into tiny versions of the adult. Thus, this is a completely terrestrial animal that avoids water (although it favors damp places) and may even drown if it cannot escape aquatic conditions. Adults are most active after rains in the warmer months. Males can be distinguished from females by the presence of a large circular gland, called the mental hedonic gland, beneath the chin.