Red shift: Study gauges salamanders' sprint speed as connected to their color

Phys · May 26, 2026 · 633 words · By Jennifer Micale

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What to know about Red shift: Study gauges salamanders' sprint speed as connected to their color

The article describes research conducted by Sophia Zaslow, a doctoral student at Binghamton University, regarding the correlation between body coloration and sprint speed in eastern red-backed salamanders. The study found varying correlations across different geographic sites, leading researchers to speculate that environmental factors like predation or resource availability may influence these traits.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Red shift: Study gauges salamanders' sprint speed as connected to their color Stephanie Baum Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor If the eastern red-backed salamander has an equivalent of Usain Bolt, Sophia Zaslow is determined to find it.

Why it matters

Since her undergraduate years, the Binghamton University doctoral student in biological sciences has conducted sprint trials on the common salamander species, to determine aspects of its physiological fitness.

Common ground

Zaslow's article on her undergraduate research titled "Intra-morph body coloration may correlate with performance in the eastern red-backed salamander" appears in the Canadian Journal of Zoology.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Red shift: Study gauges salamanders' sprint speed as connected to their color?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that On the campus site, she didn't find any correlation between sprint speed and color. However, she found a significant positive relationship between the factors at the northern site, and a negative relationship at the western site?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-red-shift-gauges-salamanders-sprint.html

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified 1

info

Claim 1: “On the campus site, she didn't find any correlation between sprint speed and color. However, she found a significant positive relationship between the factors at the northern site, and a negative relationship at the western site”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for this claim are irrelevant (Facebook pages for educational consultancies and war studies) and do not mention the study's results.

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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Study Edge Experts, Kathmandu. 9,904 likes · 1,143 talking about this · 149 were here. Study Edge Experts is a premier educational consultancy based in putalisadak Kathmandu, Nepal, dedica…
https://www.facebook.com/StudyEdgeExpert/

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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Institute for the Study of War. 110,456 likes · 13,527 talking about this. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is a non-partisan, non-profit, public policy research organization. ISW …
https://www.facebook.com/InstitutefortheStudyofWar/

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web search NEUTRAL — 13 hours ago · In this group, you can ask and share ITALIAN UNIVERSITIES-related questions and materials.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/studyinitlay/

help

Claim 2: “They're long-lived; they can get to eight or nine years in age”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the lifespan of the eastern red-backed salamander.

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Claim 3: “Zaslow is continuing to focus on red-backed salamanders in her doctoral research, this time in the Broome County area”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (Binghamton News and a related news snippet) confirm she is continuing her research on red-backed salamanders in the Broome County area.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) is a small, hardy woodland salamander species in the family Plethodontidae.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-backed_salamander

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Zaslow is continuing to focus on red-backed salamanders in her doctoral research, this time in the Broome County area. During the summer, she plans to again conduct behavioral trials focused on sprint…
https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6292/red-shift-researc…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sophia Zaslow. Graduate Student at Binghamton University. Binghamton, New York, United States.Hello my name is Sophia Zaslow and I am a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. I obtained my B.S. …
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-zaslow-6b921522a

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Claim 4: “Red-backed salamanders have three [morphs]: the standard form, with a red stripe running from head to tail; a "lead" variant without the stripe that's uniformly slate gray; and a rare variant that's fully red-orange”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (a news article and a PDF/academic source) confirm the three morphs: red-striped, lead (slate gray), and erythristic (fully red-orange).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Red-backed salamanders have three: the standard form, with a red stripe running from head to tail; a "lead" variant without the stripe that's uniformly slate gray; and a rare variant that's fully red-…
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-red-shift-gauges-salamanders-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — 5. Not all Eastern red-backed salamanders have red stripes on their backs. These critters come in several different color varieties and forms, making them a polymorphic species.
http://musuemofthemagazine.org/index-88.html

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — red-backed; a black pigmented back and sides, referred to as. lead-backed; and the rarest of the three morphs, red with vary-. ing degrees of black mottling referred to as erythristic (Fig. 1). Morph …
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295882003_Co-occurr…

info

Claim 5: “Zaslow co-authored the work with her graduate and undergraduate advisors, Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Lindsey Swierk and David S. Steinberg of the University of New Hampshire”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the existence of the paper and the authors is mentioned, the specific relationship (graduate/undergraduate advisors) and the specific roles of Lindsey Swierk and David S. Steinberg as advisors are not explicitly corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided evidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Binghamton University: The State University of New York.Biology doctoral student Sophia Zaslow looks at the connection between a species’ color and its speed. Eastern red-backed salamanders on the gro…
https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6292/red-shift-researc…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 25, 2026 · Intra-morph body colouration may correlate with performance in the eastern red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus). Authors: Sophia Zaslow ...
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjz-2025-0177

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — At the University of New Hampshire, research excellence, best-value education and leadership in sustainability mean Wildcats are poised to change the world.Experience the University of New Hampshire. …
https://www.unh.edu/

info

Claim 6: “Zaslow gathered her test subjects from three different New Hampshire locations”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided web search results for this claim are irrelevant (internet speed tests) and do not mention the study's locations.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Test your internet speed on any device with Speedtest by Ookla, available for free on desktop and mobile apps.
https://www.speedtest.net/

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web search NEUTRAL — How fast is your download speed? In seconds, FAST.com's simple Internet speed test will estimate your ISP speed.
https://fast.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Test your Internet connection. Check your network performance with our Internet speed test. Powered by Cloudflare's global edge network.
https://speed.cloudflare.com/

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Claim 7: “Sophia Zaslow is a Binghamton University doctoral student in biological sciences”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources confirm Sophia Zaslow is a doctoral student in biological sciences at Binghamton University: a Binghamton News article and her LinkedIn profile.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sophia Zaslow. Graduate Student at Binghamton University. Binghamton, New York, United States. 121 followers 121 connections. See your mutual connections.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-zaslow-6b921522a

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — If the eastern red-backed salamander has an equivalent of Usain Bolt, Sophia Zaslow is determined to find it. Since her undergraduate years, the Binghamton University doctoral student in biological sc…
https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6292/red-shift-researc…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — To be a doctoral student means to devote oneself to a research project under supervision of experienced researchers and following an individual study plan. For a doctoral degree, the equivalent of fou…
https://academicpositions.nl/ad/karolinska-institutet/2026/d…

verified

Claim 8: “Zaslow's article on her undergraduate research titled "Intra-morph body coloration may correlate with performance in the eastern red-backed salamander" appears in the Canadian Journal of Zoology”

VERIFIED

The specific title of the article and its publication in the Canadian Journal of Zoology are confirmed by a web search result and a reference to the paper's authors.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Captain Lewis Rendt (born 1769 in the Holy Roman Empire, died 1849 in Canada) was an early 19th-century Hessian soldier of the Swiss Regiment, who later fought with the British in the Mediterranean (d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Rendt

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III (born January 23, 1951) is an American retired aircraft pilot, diplomat and aviation safety expert, who is best known for his actions as captain of US Airways …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Sullenberger

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Major-General Sir Isaac Brock (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey. He is best remembered for his victory at the siege of Detroit and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Brock

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “Sophia Zaslow earned her BS in zoology from the University of New Hampshire”

CORROBORATED

Sophia Zaslow's LinkedIn profile and her own statement on the platform confirm she obtained a B.S. degree in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire.

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travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — · Experience: Binghamton University · Education: University of New Hampshire · Location: Binghamton · 121 connections on LinkedIn. View Sophia Zaslow’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of…
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-zaslow-6b921522a

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Binghamton University: The State University of New York. Research project assesses the sprint speed of salamander species | Binghamton News.Biology doctoral student Sophia Zaslow looks at the connecti…
https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/6292/red-shift-researc…

+ 1 more evidence source

help

Claim 10: “The red stripe on newly hatched salamanders is typically solid and very bright”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the appearance of newly hatched salamanders.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.