spots, and spotted stomachs. They can reach lengths of 3-8 in (7.6 to 20 cm) in adulthood, and are typically stocky. Red salamanders and mud salamanders are very difficult to distinguish from each other. The main differences are in their eyes and snouts. While the mud salamander has dark brown eyes and a short snout, the red salamander has bright yellow eyes and a long snout. Mud salamanders generally have 16 to 17 coastal grooves found along the dorsal side. The mud salamander produces a proteinaceous skin toxin along the backside of its body that can induce symptoms such as extreme irritability, hypothermia, and physical weakness in their predators. Reproduction Mud salamanders breed during the warmer months of the year. Egg deposition commonly occurs during autumn and winter. The females reproduce at most once per year (usually once per two years), while males may breed several times a year. It is thought that the irregular reproductive cycle of females is a facultative adaptation which prolongs life during variable mortality rates and can increase overall reproductive success. "When a mate is found, the male performs a tail undulation display. The female then straddles his tail, allowing glands on the male's tail to lubricate her. The male is then able to deposit his sperm into the female". Females reach reproductive maturity around four to five years old, while males reach reproductive maturity around two to two and a half years old. The males will reach sexual maturity their first year after metamorphosis, but will reach breeding condition after a few summers. The males will produce sperm annually and try to mate between July and November, and the females will begin to oviposit in the fall. "A female may stay with her eggs to aid the incubation process. Incubation typically lasts three or more months, with embryos hatching in the winter. Clutches range in size between 65 and 200." Habitat The mud salamander inhabits swamps in low elevations, bogs, seeps, springs, and streams that not only provide a muddy bottom, but also clean and clear water. The mud salamander, a burrowing species, seeks shelter in burrows beneath leaf litter, logs, stones, or bark. The mud salamander may also build tunnels in creek banks, as well. These amphibians spend most of their lives in close proximity to water, but also burrow into the soil of the surrounding area. Larvae are usually underground in muddy