[2][4] The specific name ruficauda derives from the Latin words rufous (=reddish) and cauda (=tail) and refers to the reddish orange tail of this salamander.

The dorsal stripe is irregular and sometimes interrupted; its color varies from tan-yellow to orange to reddish brown.

The tail is orange with black spots and a vivid, red-orange to yellow-orange tip.

[3] Pseudoeurycea ruficauda occurs in moist, mixed pine and oak forest at elevations of 2,235–2,290 m (7,333–7,513 ft) above sea level.

Although common within its known range consisting of only two localities, the quantity and quality of its habitat are declining because of small-scale farming and wood extraction.