Its hind feet have four toes instead of five. This salamander species has no lungs. The animals breathe through their skins, and the lining of the roof of the mouth. Its habitat is moist mossy woods, particularly in peat moss. Peat bogs or mossy areas bordering streams are good breeding sites.
Adults lay eggs deep between the moss plants.
The little larvae live in the water for a short while, then move to live on land.