The Red Hills salamander is a large, burrowing species that grows to a length of 250 mm. It was discovered in 1960 and seldom emerges completely from its underground refuge, hunting for invertebrate prey at night at the entrance of its retreat. It lives in steep slopes along damp ravines covered by hardwood forest. Around 60% of its habitat is owned or leased by paper companies that are degrading and destroying this species’ habitat by timber harvest and pine plantations. Six Habitat Conservation Plans for populations of Red Hills salamanders (covering approximately 25,169 hectares) have been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with timber companies in southern Alabama.