Spotted Salamander Facts

Spotted salamander are scientifically called Ambystoma maculatum, wherein Ambystoma stands for 'blunt mouth', while maculatum stands for 'spotted'. Spotted salamanders are currently widespread and found in large numbers in southeastern United States. They are also predominantly found in eastern Canadian regions as well, especially in the low lying forests near the floodplains. They happen to spend most of their time underground, hiding beneath logs, rocks, etc. except for feeding at night and in early spring when scores of them travel to breeding ponds for mating.

Appearance...
These are 6-7 inches long, large, bluish-black salamanders featuring bright yellow to orange spots scattered from the head to the tail. One of the fascinating facts about spotted salamanders is that each one has a unique pattern of spots on its body. While mostly feature two rows of yellow-orange spots, some salamanders have only a few spots scattered here and there on the body. The underside of the salamander is mostly slate gray.

Feeding Habits...
Spotted salamanders love to dwell near rivers and streams, however, remain underground most of the time, hiding in crevices and burrows made by other creatures. At night, these nocturnal amphibians come out in search of food. They snack on a variety of insects such as spider, worms, millipedes, centipedes, slugs and other tiny insects dwelling on the forest floor. The tiny salamander larvae are found munching on beetle and mosquito larvae.

Self Defense...
Snakes, crows, fish, muskrats, foxes and even bears hunt for spotted salamanders. However, these spotted salamanders, like their salamander cousins, secrete a milky, toxic substance in glands situated near their back and tails. In case any predator gets hold of them, they lash their tail back and forth and releases the toxin from two glands situated on either side of the tail. If the toxin fails to salvage the salamander, the salamander detaches its tail and scurries away. The detached tail diverts the predator's attention, giving just enough time for the salamander to run to safety. Soon another tail will grow to replace the lost one.

Breeding...
The first rain in early spring is the signal for spotted salamanders to relocate themselves to the breeding ponds. They migrate to these breeding ponds and lay their eggs there. A female spotted salamander lays about 100 - 200 eggs each time on underwater vegetation. A jelly like substance holds the eggs together and protects them from drying out, until the time they hatch.

Often algae are found colonizing these egg masses and it is believed that a symbiotic relationship exists between the eggs and the algae. The eggs receive essential oxygen required for embryonic development from the algae, while in return for the oxygen, the eggs provide a substrate to the algae to grow on.

Life Cycle...
Adults return to their hiding places in the next few days, leaving the eggs to hatch in the pond. They come back same time next year to mate and breed. Salamander eggs hatch within 3-7 weeks after they have been laid. Tiny greenish yellow or brownish salamander larvae with tiny dark spots emerge out of the tiny eggs and begin scurrying their way in the water.

These larvae possess external gills and use them for breathing underwater. Since they need water for their survival, larvae salamanders live in the pond till they emerge into adults. These larvae feed on larvae of other insects like beetles, mosquitoes, etc. for the next few months. By this time, the external gills disappear and young salamanders emerge. These juvenile salamanders then leave the water and begin to hide in logs, crevices, etc. A spotted salamander's average life span is about 20 - 30 years.

Spotted salamanders are found in large numbers as of today and are thankfully not endangered. However, habitat loss, pesticide use, etc., are affecting their population. Spotted salamanders are very sensitive to ecological changes, thus, rising pollution levels will have drastic effects on these lovely creatures.