Northern Two-lined Salamander /
Salamandre à deux lignes du Nord
The Northern Two-lined Salamander has a yellowish band down its back, bordered by two
black lines. Adults can grow to a length of 12 cm, with the tail making up approximately
half of this.
The Dusky Salamander is somewhat similar to the
Two-lined Salamander. In Quebec they are often found in the same habitats. The Dusky
Salamander can be quickly identified by the light-coloured band that runs diagonally
from the eye to the jaw. The rare Allegheny
Mountain Dusky Salamander of southern Québec is also quite similar to the
Two-lined Salamander. It tends to have V-shaped marks on the band running down its back.
Absent from south-western Ontario, the Two-lined Salamander is found throughout much of
eastern Ontario, and much of Quebec, Labrador and New Brunswick. They are found as far
south as Virginia. Closely related salamanders farther south are now considered to be
Two-lined Salamanders are generally found close to streams because they dehydrate more
readily than other lungless salamanders. They are associated with moderate to fast
flowing rocky streams. These streams can be tiny creeks or actual rivers in both
deciduous or mixed forests.
Breeding can occur in the fall or spring, but egg-laying occurs in the spring. Females
lay up to 100 eggs, generally on the underside of submerged rocks. The female often stays
with the eggs until they hatch in one to two months. The larvae are approximately 1 cm
in length when they hatch and take up to three years to transform into a salamander.
At that time they will be roughly 4 cm in length. By the next spring, they will generally
Two-lined Salamanders are primarily active at night, especially after it rains. During
the day, they can be found under rocks near streams. They eat a wide variety of insects
and other invertebrates. Two-lined Salamanders spend the winter in rocky or gravelly
areas below the frost line.
There is no evidence that Two-lined Salamander populations have declined.