Family: Plethodontidae, Lungless Salamanders view all from this family
Description 2 1/2-4 3/8" (6.4-11.1 cm). Small slender salamander. Broad red, orange, or yellow back stripe with well-defined wavy border. Stripe widens on tail base. Belly mottled with orange, white, and black. Unstriped dark-phase individuals may be found. Costal grooves, 17-19.
Breeding Probably nests in an underground retreat during summer. Larvae skip aquatic stage and hatch in fall.
Habitat Moist rocky retreats - ravines, canyons, escarpments, talus rubble, spring seepages, and caves; 400-2,500' (122-762 m).
Range From c. Indiana south to c. Alabama.
Discussion The Zigzag spends May through September underground. During the winter, and early spring it can be found in wet rocky areas or near fallen logs. The Ozark Salamander (P. angusticlavius), formerly considered a subspecies of Zigzag, is similar but has a narrow back stripe with poorly defined, often straight-edged borders; it is found in sw. Missouri, n. Arkansas, and ne. Oklahoma.
