Adults spend most of their lives either on land or in abandoned mammal burrows, beneath logs and rocks, and along the root systems of plants. It frequently goes to heavily vegetated areas. Willow thickets are used as refuges. The most important prey throughout the year, and mainly in the drier months are arthropods and isopods. In the drier summer months, salamanders take in more beetles, centipedes, earthworms, and spiders.
Small larvae feed mainly on planktonic invertebrates.
Where as larger larvae feed mainly on aquatic insects, snails, earthworms, and sometimes tadpoles. Breeding ponds have tall aquatic plants that also provide cover for adults as well as provide shade for the larvae. These salamanders have been known to travel more than one mile per night to arrive at the breeding pond. Males usually arrive first, and stay longer. This assures their availability to females.