Backyard Creature Of The Week:

The red back (or redback or red-backed) salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a small, hardy woodland salamander. It inhabits wooded slopes in Eastern North America. The red-backed salamander is found mostly in two color variations: the nominate red variety, ‘redback’, as well as a darker phase known as the ‘leadback’ which lacks most or all of the red pigmentation found in the red phase. Males and females typically establish separate feeding and/or mating territories underneath rocks and logs. However, some red back salamanders are thought to engage in social monogamy, and may maintain co-defended territories throughout their active period. Breeding occurs in June and July. Females produce from 4–17 eggs in a year. The eggs will hatch in 6–8 weeks. In some areas with good habitat, these salamanders are so numerous that their population densities may surpass 1,000 individuals per acre.(Wiki.)