Pseudotriton ruber is found in the Eastern United States from Northern Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, to western Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Southen New York. Pseudotriton ruber is usually found between sea level and 1500 ft. There are a few major field marks that can be used to identify this salamander. The dorsum and sides of this salamander vary from a purplish brown to a bright crimson red.
Younger specimens are brighter in color, while adults tend to darken with age.
The dorsum is also covered with irregularly shaped dark spots or dashes. There are five toes located on the hindlimbs and four toes on the forelimbs. This salamander is a carnivore, feeding on small insects, worms, and other invertebrates, and occasionally smaller salamanders. One interesting adaptation of this salamander is a projectile tongue, which it can extend and return in 11 milliseconds. The salamander also lunges forward during prey capture.