Salamander Monitoring

Help monitor red-backed salamanders at Viles Arboretum. Learn to identify salamander species, handle them safely, and collect and record data.

Red-backed salamanders can be found in forest habitats throughout Maine, commonly found under leaf litter, rocks, and decaying logs. These amphibians are an indicator species, meaning their presence, absence, or population trends provide valuable insight into the overall health of an ecosystem.

We're keeping an eye on these unassuming amphibians in an area rich with Eastern Hemlocks, trees that create the cool, damp habitats salamanders love. These trees are under threat from the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that can harm or kill them. By tracking salamanders here, we can see how changes in the forest affect these important indicator species - and the overall health of the ecosystem.