Ewww!! I am not fond of reptiles/amphibians so encountering one of those in my garden would not be a pleasant surprise. Even the tiny little tree frogs I encounter from time to time - which are really quite adorable - have the ability to give me a near heart attack!!

it surprised me but I didn't scream..I'm the opposite..I love the wildlife in my woodland..I've never seen a rat personally but that might make me scream..yuck..

Don't like rats or voles, like salamanders and lizards. Now that you know that... enjoy your coffee or tea... lol

the question is.. ... do they eat slugs???

You are lucky! I see them occasionally and I am always delighted by them. I have never seen a marbled but I get the blue spotted and once a pure red one. They are adorable.

n2hostas..Lol..I'm having coffee right this minute!..seeing this little creature makes me feel that I'm doing something right..I'm keeping my woodland healthy enough that animals like it..

peren..I had no idea how many beautiful colors there were until I Googled yesterday..I didn't touch it but I learned yesterday that the oils and salts on human skin can harm them..

ken..maybe they do!..I have fewer slugs than some here..hmmm?..

ken..I Googled..they do eat slugs!..

I would welcome them if they eat slugs.......but I have never seen one in any local gardens. Supposedly there are several species of salamander that are native to this area but they do not prefer the habitat provided by most gardens and are most common to damp, forested areas here.

come on gal.. your PNW slugs are bigger than this thing.. lol ...

all of a sudden its your friend... eh nichols... lol ..

btw ... if you ever run across them again ... cover them with some loose leaves or something.. to hide them .. allow them to escape ... so the birds dont see them ... or whoever might be looking for them ....

ken

ken..I put the leaves back over the dirt..they must like to hide..the first one like that I've seen in 16 years..

LOL!! Ken, they don't start out that big. But I agree that one of our full sized banana slugs would give anything much smaller than a Komodo dragon a run for its money!!

nw I had no idea touching them could be an issue for them. I kept the red one for months in a terrarium and handled it often before releasing it. It was a lovely creature.

I covered this one up after finding it under an outdoor table.

peren..I think yours are bigger than mine..I also read they live from 5 to 25 years..I don't understand why the life expectancy varies so much?..

What a great find.

tj

I was surprised to discover our native salamander is poisonous! It exudes a sticky poisonous substance to discourage predators. It can be deadly to smaller animals but is only mildly irritating to humans.

yes..some insects and plants are poisonous too..I like working in latex gloves..my husband had a leftover box after a surgery and I tried them..I feel better wearing them when I'm working outside..and they keep the dirt out of my nails..

tj..Lol..yeah I still have dirt!..sometimes I say "I don't need gloves now"..uh wrong..

I keep small lizards and such as pets at home. I would have LOVED to have seen a marbled salamander in my garden. And yes, they do eat worms, slugs, etc. so they are an ally. What I want to find here in Maryland would be some eastern spotted newts, which I know are native to here. I'd set them up in an empty tank I have and thoroughly enjoy them.

Love the salamander. Just watched a salamander talk from Dawes Arboretum where they migrate every year into their vernal pools. Also did the salamander hike through the local creeks a few years ago. Used to collect them (and newts) when I was growing up. Not that I had a collection, just anything wild we could catch became ours for a little while. We actually found little salamanders around our home in California but none here in Ohio.

"seeing this little creature makes me feel that I'm doing something right..I'm keeping my woodland healthy enough that animals like it."

It is cute! I showed my son and he said exactly what you said above. He said they are very sensitive creatures, and you are absolutely doing a lot of things "right!"

I've never seen a salamander before. How great is it that they dine on slugs? I don't think we have those, and I never see lizards here, either. I came across a garter snake only once on this property. It is a good thing that your woodland backyard supports life.

my dream property would have a creek..like all of you I like salamanders, frogs, turtles, lizards etc..snakes not as much..when it's warmer I'll look for him again..