I was about to throw away some moldy carpet from under my home, when it unfolded and revealed a friend glimpsed briefly a few years back.

Seems she's doing quite well.  The white spots are carpet debris.  I got a glass of warm water and attempted to rinse her, a kindness not appreciated.

She crawled away behind a potted plant in regal and insulted fashion, and I decided to leave her alone.

There's something mystical but fragile about these creatures, I think.

And I wish her many more years of salamander happiness.

(I have since learned she is an Ensatina, a type of lungless salamander that exudes a toxic substance from her/his tail)