The name of the license/ID holder is also next to the salamander and curves with the salamander’s contours on the front.
North Carolina’s new driver’s license and state ID design prominently features a marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum ) on the front right side of the card. The salamander is rough textured on the card, with the tail that seems to be transparent on the front and the tip appearing on the back of the card. This is a safety feature designed to prevent counterfeiting, according to the North Carolina DMV.
The name of the license/ID holder is also next to the salamander and curves with the salamander’s contours on the front. The card holder’s name also appears on the back, next to the tail. The card is constructed of 100 percent polycarbonate and employs laser engraving to deter counterfeiting. The card is also stiffer and makes a metallic sound when dropped.
The marbled salamander, which is North Carolina’s official state salamander, grows to about 3-5 inches in length and is a more full bodied salamander than other species, meaning it is chunky rather than thin. It is found throughout much of the eastern United States and as far west as Texas. It has black and white bands that run from the neck to the tip of the tail. A species of Least Concern as evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one notable trait of the marbled salamander is its capability to biofluoresce under ultraviolet light.
