Key Characteristics: Dark brown, gray or black with few bluish flecks along sides; toes long.

Habitat: Undisturbed deciduous forest, especially moist, well-drained forested uplands.

Key Characteristics: Black or grayish black with many blue or bluish-white spots on sides, back and tail; toes long.

Habitat: Blue-spotted Salamanders occupy coniferous, mixed and deciduous forest, in moist lowlands to moderately dry uplands. In western New York they appear to be more abundant in bottomland forest and wooded swamps.

Key Characteristics: Blackish or grayish with two rows of yellow spots on back.

Habitat: Spotted Salamanders occur in moist closed-canopy mixed or deciduous forest. They are typically found in lowland forest but can tolerate moderately dry upland conditions as well. These salamanders are less common in swamp forests that are subject to frequent flooding.

Key Characteristics: Black with silvery crossbands on back.

Habitat: Most common in moderately extensive tracts of moist lowland forest, but also occurs in upland areas on wooded, rocky hillsides and ridges.

Key Characteristics: Dark brown or black with irregularly shaped yellow blotches scattered across the back and sides;belly olive-yellow.

Habitat: A salamander of open habitats: marshes, grasslands and pastures.

Habitat: Associated with fast moving flows with large boulders for shelter. Found by carefully overturning large boulders.

Key Characteristics: Markings variable; light line extending from eye to angle of jaw; tail keeled.

Habitat: Almost always found in or within close proximity to moving water; mainly mountain brooks, seepages and springs.

Key Characteristics: Markings variable; light line extending from eye to angle of jaw; tail rounded.

Habitat: Almost always found in or within close proximity to moving water; mainly mountain brooks, seepages and springs.

Habitat: Under rocks, logs, and leaf litter adjacent to or in small rocky streams and seeps in mesic forest.

Key Characteristics: Yellowish or orangish background; black vermiculations on back and sides become vertical bars on sides of tail; tail long.

Habitat: Around rock outcrops or caves (usually in the vicinity of creeks and springs) in deeply dissected, forested landscapes. Often found under rocks and logs.

Habitat: Highly oxygenated water such as mountain seeps, cool springs, and fast moving streams.

Habitat: Under rocks and logs on moist wooded hillsides and ravines. Retreat underground or to more mesic environments during the summer.

Habitat: Fairly extensive tracts of moist, closed-canopy forests, usually associated with rocky outcrops, streams, and steep topography. Occasionally found in more open habitats, but avoid seasonally flooded lowland forest.

Habitat: Upland forests under rocks, rotting logs, and in rock crevices and caves.

Habitat: Adults are most commonly found in small, densely vegetated ponds, but can also be found in shallows of large lakes, river sloughs and backwaters, and swamps and marshes. Efts are found under rocks and logs in forested areas near the breeding ponds.