Census of a Population of the Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

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Abstract
In four censuses made between May 22 and June 14, 1945, on an area of about 10,000 square meters in a hard-wood woodlot in southeastern Mich., the number of individuals removed totaled 496; successive censuses producing 118, 146, 131, and 101. There are indications that a large part of the salamanders taken after the 1st census were on the area previously, and that continued dispersal had little effect on the samples. The striped color-phase comprised 65.4% of the population (range of single censuses, 61.2 - 71.2). A similar proportion appeared in both sexes and the principal size groups. 3 other color variants formed less than 1.5% of the population. Adults and immatures were represented about equally. Among adults, [male] [male] formed 3/4 of the sample, [female] [female] probably being better hidden rather than less abundant. Less than 5% of the apparently available cover was occupied by salamanders at any time. A single, preliminary census of an area of about the same size, adjacent to the boundaries of the census plot, gave statistics similar to those for the census plot, except for the sex ratio, which showed 59% [female][female].