Many species are seen only during their breeding seasons, when they migrate to and from their breeding ponds. Others are active throughout the year, but then only at night or after heavy rains. Some species will only be seen when specifically searched for, and even then they may prove elusive. Salamanders, along with their relatives, the frogs and toads, are noted for a diversity of life history patterns. Other species, such as the slimy salamander, do not have a free-living larval stage, essentially completing metamorphosis within the egg capsule.
Salamanders also inhabit a diversity of habitats, from upland wooded forests to streams and swamps.
The greatest concentration of salamanders on the SRS is found in the Carolina bays. Click on the scientific family names below for a description and picture of the species .