Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
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The Eastern Tiger Salamanders are also known as Mole Salamanders. They are the largest land dwelling salamander in North America.
Eastern Tiger Salamanders require soil in which they are able to burrow since they live underground for most of the year and usually dig their own burrows. They have been found over 2 feet below the surface. This allows them to escape the temperature extremes on the surface and may explain why they have such a wide array of habitat types. |
DESCRIPTION: Eastern Tiger Salamander adults have thick dark bodies with spots or stripes of yellow, tan or olive green. The underside is yellowish or olive in color. As juveniles they tend to be grayish or greenish in color, and within a few weeks they start to show yellow or tan spots that gradually merge into the patterns of the adult that gives then their namesake markings. They have a large head with a broad, rounded snout and round eyes. Their skin is scale-less, moist and shiny.
Their skin consistency and thickness makes them well suited for terrestrial existence, however, they do need to be able to burrow underground in order to seek the proper humidity levels.
They also need to live close enough to a permanent water source such as a pond for breeding.
They have a length from 7 to 13 inches and they weigh on average 4 ounces. Males are longer than females and have a more compressed tail and longer stockier hind legs.
RANGE: The Eastern Tiger Salamanders’ range is the entire continental United States all the way up through Canada to Alaska and down to the Mexican plateau.
HABITAT: Depending on the local geography of where they live they inhabit forests, grasslands, or marshy areas. But the must always be near a permanent water source.
DIET: Carnivore – Adults eat worms, snails, insects, and slugs. The larvae and juveniles begin by eating small crustaceans and insect larvae and as they grown they will prey on tadpoles, smaller salamander larvae, and small fish.
FAMILY LIFE: Females lay eggs in masses in small pools of water and attach them to twigs, grass stems and leaves that have decayed on the bottom floor of the pond. Each mass can contain up to 100 eggs. Eastern Tiger Salamander eggs are very fragile if handled.
Each female produces from 100 to 1000 eggs per season. The eggs hatch 19 to 50 days after being laid. The hatchings are totally independent upon hatching.
The larvae remain in the pond until they turn into adults at 2.5 to 5 months of age.
Sometimes, adult Eastern Tiger Salamanders remain in the aquatic larval form for their entire lives and do not move on to the terrestrial stage.
LIFE SPAN: In the wild Eastern Tiger Salamanders live up to 16 years. In human care they can live as long as 25 years.
STATUS: Least Concern – although these salamanders are negatively affected by deforestation, destruction of wetlands and water pollution.
Natural predators of adults include: badgers, snakes, bobcats, and owls. Aquatic insects, the larvae of other salamanders, and snakes, eat the larvae.
Their skin consistency and thickness makes them well suited for terrestrial existence, however, they do need to be able to burrow underground in order to seek the proper humidity levels.
They also need to live close enough to a permanent water source such as a pond for breeding.
They have a length from 7 to 13 inches and they weigh on average 4 ounces. Males are longer than females and have a more compressed tail and longer stockier hind legs.
RANGE: The Eastern Tiger Salamanders’ range is the entire continental United States all the way up through Canada to Alaska and down to the Mexican plateau.
HABITAT: Depending on the local geography of where they live they inhabit forests, grasslands, or marshy areas. But the must always be near a permanent water source.
DIET: Carnivore – Adults eat worms, snails, insects, and slugs. The larvae and juveniles begin by eating small crustaceans and insect larvae and as they grown they will prey on tadpoles, smaller salamander larvae, and small fish.
FAMILY LIFE: Females lay eggs in masses in small pools of water and attach them to twigs, grass stems and leaves that have decayed on the bottom floor of the pond. Each mass can contain up to 100 eggs. Eastern Tiger Salamander eggs are very fragile if handled.
Each female produces from 100 to 1000 eggs per season. The eggs hatch 19 to 50 days after being laid. The hatchings are totally independent upon hatching.
The larvae remain in the pond until they turn into adults at 2.5 to 5 months of age.
Sometimes, adult Eastern Tiger Salamanders remain in the aquatic larval form for their entire lives and do not move on to the terrestrial stage.
LIFE SPAN: In the wild Eastern Tiger Salamanders live up to 16 years. In human care they can live as long as 25 years.
STATUS: Least Concern – although these salamanders are negatively affected by deforestation, destruction of wetlands and water pollution.
Natural predators of adults include: badgers, snakes, bobcats, and owls. Aquatic insects, the larvae of other salamanders, and snakes, eat the larvae.
