Pascagoula Dusky Salamander vs. Valentine's Southern Dusky Salamander

Sister species: Valentine's replaces the Pascagoula Dusky to the north and west, and Pyron et al. (2022) expect them to meet near Biloxi. A: A distinct reddish-brown back stripe, kept by big adults in the Pascagoula Dusky Salamander; big adults have only vague marks on the back in the Valentine's Southern Dusky Salamander. B: Faint, jagged or missing, always whitish in the Pascagoula Dusky Salamander; neat round white (sometimes reddish) portholes in up to three clear rows in the Valentine's Southern Dusky Salamander. Valentine's grows bigger (to 62 mm snout to vent against 56). Young Valentine's carry a bold reddish-orange back pattern with scalloped edges, which young Pascagoulas lack.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

More comparisons

• Pascagoula Dusky Salamander vs. Spotted Dusky Salamander
• Valentine's Southern Dusky Salamander vs. Spotted Dusky Salamander

Wildsight identifies the reptiles and amphibians of the United States. Every comparison