Plethodon vehiculum
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The western red-backed salamander (Plethodon vehiculum) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. The species is found in extreme southwestern Canada and the northwestern United States. The western red-backed salamander is found in temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. It is considered widespread in the region and is not strictly associated with a specific habitat type.
The western red-backed salamander has a slender build with relatively short limbs. Adults average 1.5 to 2 in (3.8 to 5.1 cm) in snout-to-vent length (SVL), and 3 to 4.5 in (7.6 to 11.4 cm) in total length (including tail). The western red-backed salamander has a colored stripe on its back, which extends from the anterior of the head to the end of the tail. The coloration of the stripe is highly variable, ranging from the typical reddish orange to bright yellow, with melanism also being documented in the species.
The western red-backed salamander is found from southwestern Oregon to southwestern British Columbia. Within that geographic range, the salamander is found from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Coast. The western... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Red-backed Salamander sighting in Portland on a given day, based on 168 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 9 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Red-backed Salamander in Portland on a given day, against about 10% in January to September, the lowest months. Those are among Portland's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Red-backed Salamander sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Western Red-backed Salamander sightings, Portland has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Seattle (United States, about 10%) and Vancouver (Canada, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Red-backed Salamander is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Portland (168 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
