Cheat Mountain Salamanders are most active at night in humid weather; otherwise remaining under cover of logs or rocks during the day. This species spends the winter underground where it stays above freezing, and depending on soil temperature, leaves winter refuge at the end of March or early April. Little is known about their breeding behavior, but pairs have been found together under rocks in both spring and autumn. The female usually lays 8-10 eggs, which are attached to the inside of a rotten log or the underside of a rock. In behavior unique to woodland salamanders, it seems she guards the eggs until they hatch. The young undergo their larval stage inside the egg, so when they hatch in late August or September they resemble mini adults. The young reach sexual maturity in three to four years and live approximately 20 years.