Four-toed salamander
(Hemidactylium scutatum)
Information
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List
LC - Least Concern
NatureServe
N5 - Secure
S3 - Vulnerable
Minnesota
Special Concern
Species in Greatest Conservation Need
Description
Four-toed Salamander is a small lungless salamander. It occurs in the United States from Maine to northern Florida, west to eastern Minnesota and Louisiana. In Canada it occurs in Nova Scotia, southern Quebec, and southern Ontario. It is rare in Minnesota. It is found in mature upland deciduous or mixed forests with moss and near vernal pools, ponds, sphagnum bogs, shallow marshes, or other water bodies with no fish.
Four-toed Salamander is the smallest salamander in Minnesota. Adults are 2″ to 4″ (5 to 10 cm) in length, rarely longer.
The body is elongated. The upperside is reddish-brown above with a dense speckling of small silver or bluish spots or flecks on the sides, sometimes becoming almost entirely grayish or bluish toward the belly. The underside is bright white with black spots scattered along the sides of the belly and on the chin. On each side of the body between the forelimbs and the ventral area there are 13 or 14 prominent vertical depressions (costal grooves). The grooves meet on the back in a forward-pointing V shape.
The tail is a little longer than the body on the adult, shorter than the body on the juvenile. There is a constricted ring at the base of the tail. The rear of the tail is usually brighter than the body.
The snout is rounded and short on the female, long and squared off on the male. Between the nostril and the upper lip there is a slit (nasolabial groove) that assists drainage of water and debris from the nose. The salamander has no lungs and cannot clear the nostrils by expelling air (blowing its nose).
All of the feet have four toes.
Size
Total length: 2″ to 4″ (5 to 10 cm)
Similar Species
Habitat
Forests with moss and near water bodies with no fish
Ecology
Behavior
Lifespan
Captive: up to 9 years
Wild: unknown
Life Cycle
It overwinters on land under rocks, logs or leaves, or in burrows
Larva Food
Small aquatic crustaceans
Adult Food
Insects, spiders, ticks, worms, and springtails
Distribution
Sources
Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 1/10/2026).
HerpMapper. 2026. HerpMapper - A Global Herp Atlas and Data Hub. Iowa, U.S.A. Available http://www.herpmapper.org. (Accessed: 1/10/2026).
USGS National Amphibian Atlas. https://armi.usgs.gov/atlas/. Accessed 1/10/2026).
Occurrence
Rare in Minnesota
Taxonomy
Class
Amphibia (Amphibians)
Order
Caudata (Salamanders)
Family
Plethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders)
Subfamily
Hemidactyliinae
Genus
Hemidactylium (Four-toed Salamanders)
Subordinate Taxa
Synonyms
Batrachoseps scutatus
Cotobotes scutatum
Desmodactylus melanostictus
Desmodactylus scutatus
Salamandra melanosticta
Salamandra scutata
Common Names
Four-toed Salamander
Photos
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Minnesota Seasons Photos
Slideshows
Slideshows
Hemidactylium
Bryce Wade
Hemidactylium
Henryk Wallays
Videos
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Other Videos
Four-Toed Salamander(Hemidactylium scutatum)
Greg LeSouder
Four-toed Salamander
Paul Smith's College VIC
Sightings
Visitor Sightings
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Suzanne Candell
9/14/2025
Location: Wood Rill SNA, Long Lake, MN
Hi, I believe I found one of these today. I found it in a very fresh Grifola Fondosa (Hen of the Woods) mushroom growing on a dead, decayed stump. It was approx 1.5” long. It climbed out of the mushroom. It was obviously reddish brown; when the sun shined on it, I could see it had in a linear pattern running tail to head of very small, neon blue spots. It scurried into another Grifola Fondosa a few inches away. I’m sorry I didn’t get a photo for you.
I’d love a response w/ any thoughts or info you may have regarding this possible sighting.
John Valo
9/14/2025
According to the Minnesota DNR, the Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) occurs in “many disjunct and isolated populations.” Though not part of its known range, Wood Rill has habitats that could support a yet unrecorded population of the species.
Wood Rill SNA has a small area classified as Tamarack Swamp (Southern). This habitat has a patchy, 25% to 100% continuous moss layer and often has sphagnum moss hummocks. It is in a “wet” area that stretches almost to Bufflehead Pond. If Four-toed Salamander is in Wood Rill SNA, I would expect it to be in or near this area or around Bufflehead Pond.
There is a much larger area of Black Ash - Yellow Birch - Red Maple - Alder Swamp (Eastcentral). However, mosses are generally sparse in this habitat, and sphagnum moss is not mentioned as a key component.
This is a compelling observation. Your description, especially the “very small, neon blue spots” and finding it near a mushroom on a decayed stump, aligns well with the behavior and appearance of the Four-toed Salamander. It’s a shy and elusive species, so any sighting is rare. While a photograph is always the best way to confirm a sighting, your detailed account is a contribution to our understanding of this species’ potential range.
Jeff LeClere
5/9/2008
Location: Itasca County
Minnesota Seasons Sightings