This cave salamander plushie is perfect for caverns, nature attractions, zoos, and museum gift shops! The cave salamander is a medium-sized salamander with a long tail. It is normally bright orange but can vary from yellow brown to orange red. There are distinct dark brown or black spots covering most of the body. The belly is usually yellow orange and without spots. There are 13 or 14 riblike grooves along the side. The end of the tail is often black. Young cave salamanders are yellow with shorter tails. Adult females are often larger than males. A unique characteristic of the lungless salamander family is the presence of a groove in the skin running from each nostril down to the lip. The two groove-extending projections are called cirri and are more pronounced on adult males. The grooves and cirri may be associated with the sense of smell, specifically for detecting pheromones (scents emitted by females).