[1] As its name suggests, the external appearance is that of semitransparent blackish brown ground color, blotched with bright amber.

[9] This species of salamander is found only in Kyushu, Japan, and is distributed among the mountainous areas of the prefectures of Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Northern Kagoshima.

[1][8] The freshwater habitat is located in wetlands of permanent rivers, streams, and creeks, including waterfalls.

[1] Habitats have been discovered in and around mountainous streams at altitudes ranging from 500 to 1500 m.[10] They return to upstream areas to breed, and this is also where the larvae develop.

If the color pattern is an effective deterrent from predators, then this characteristic is likely due to strong selection.

[10] A genetic variance of 4% was found to be due to phenological circumstances in the populations of amber salamander between two regions separated by geographic isolation.

[10] The egg sacs produced by the males are quite long, ranging from 17 to 30 cm and differ from other species of the same genus, Hynobius boulengeri, by not having the prominent whip-like formation on the free end.