Northern Grotto Salamander vs. Dark-sided Salamander
Most grotto salamanders seen are gilled larvae in cave streams and spring runs of the Missouri Ozarks, where Dark-sided Salamander larvae also live (records share 7 one-degree squares). A: Brown to dark grey, plain or faintly streaked in the Northern Grotto Salamander; yellowish with distinct dark spots down the back in the Dark-sided Salamander. B: Tiny eyes, the lids partly or fully grown shut in the Northern Grotto Salamander; big, bulging, working eyes in the Dark-sided Salamander. C: Pale tan to pinkish, no pattern in the Northern Grotto Salamander; yellow to orange with dark spots and dark sides in the Dark-sided Salamander. Grotto adults live deep in caves; Dark-sided Salamanders at springs, seeps and cave mouths. Northern Grotto Salamanders are a Missouri species of conservation concern: look, photograph and leave them in the water.
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