I had expected to see lots of salamanders in the few days that we were up in the mountains of northwest South Carolina. I had told Monica that we couldn't leave the area until we had seen a salamander, since that seemed like such a sure thing. But that area was suffering from a drought and the ground was very dry. Logs that looked sure to cover salamanders only covered beetles and pill bugs. It was beginning to look like we might need to start shopping for real estate in the area when I finally uncovered this large fellow beneath a log.