Small, slender, short legged salamander. 18-19 costal grooves present along sides. Two color morphs. One has a wide reddish, orange, or tan stripe along the back to base of tail. Sides and limbs are dark gray with light speckling. The other (leadback phase) is uniformly dark gray with no stripes. Ventral is dark grey with light speckling. An all red color variation may occur occasionally.