Many herpetologists think that the Coeur d'Alene Salamander is the same species as the Van Dyke's Salamander (Plethodon vandykei), that has become separated into two geographically distinct populations. Adults are shorter and stockier through the body than other plethodon salamanders. There are 14 costal grooves in the back. They are blackish in colour with a wide yellow, reddish or greenish dorsal stripe with conspicuous ragged edges. The underside has white flecks on the belly and may have blotches of pale yellow on the throat. Total length varies up to 58 mm. (Corkran & Thoms, 1996).

British Columbia: Occurs only in the Columbia Basin as above.

Coeur d'Alène Salamanders have very particular habitat requirements and a restricted range. They live in wet seeps, waterfall splash zones and streamside riparian habitats (Cannings et al. 1999). They also occur on shaded or north-facing slopes in moist, mossy talus or fractured rock outcrops with slowly seeping water (Corkran & Thoms, 1996).

There are numerous ways that logging can affect populations-there may be increased sedimentation, removal of riparian vegetation as well as fragmentation that will isolate populations making them susceptible to local extirpation. Highway maintenance such as widening, rock scaling and herbicide application; trail building; fire; and water diversion projects all could have deleterious affects (Cannings et al. 1999).

This salamander requires deeply fractured rock formations into which it can retreat to avoid desiccation in the hot dry portions of the summer and the freezing temperatures of the winter. They have restricted overland movements due to their aquatic nature, particularly in arid areas or areas where there is little canopy cover. As a result, populations are often isolated. Coeur d'Alène Salamanders mate in late summer or autumn. The female will store the sperm for up to nine months before fertilizing the eggs. An average of six eggs are deposited in April with the young emerging in mid-September (Cannings et al. 1999).