Eurycea lucifuga is classed as trogloxene or troglophile rather than troglobite: it uses caves but is not restricted to them and shows none of the anatomical hallmarks of obligate cave life. It keeps large functional eyes and vivid orange pigment, and it is regularly found on damp rock faces and under cover outside caves.
The reason is food. Deep cave passages are nutrient-poor, while entrance and twilight zones collect insects, and cave crickets that roost near entrances and forage outside are a documented prey source. The long tail is used to brace and grip on wet vertical limestone, which is where much of the foraging happens.
This contrasts with genuine cave-adapted salamanders such as the Texas blind salamander or the olm, which have lost pigment and functional eyes. The comparison is a useful correction: sharing a habitat name does not mean sharing an adaptation, and the cave salamander's colour alone shows it lives where light reaches.