Eastern Tiger Salamander
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Scientific Name:
Ambystoma tigrinum Aquatic and Terrestrial
Native
Salamanders
Description
A large gray to black salamander with an irregular pattern of yellow to tan spots along its back. Underside is paler and without spots. Typically 6 to 8 inches in length, occasionally up to 13 inches.
Possession or harvest of this species from the wild is illegal in the state of Louisiana.
Range and Habitat
Found in or near seasonal wetlands in semi-open pine flatwoods or mixed flatwoods. Range from Long Island along the coast throughout the Gulf of Mexico, east through Texas, north to the western Ohio Valley and the southern Great Lakes basin, west to Minnesota, and onto the eastern plains states. Absent from the Appalachian highlands and lower Mississippi delta.
Behavior
Adults eat worms, insects, snails, frogs, snakes, tadpoles, and nesting mice. Larvae eat aquatic prey and can become cannabilistic when food is scarce. Able to reprodue between 2 and 7 years of age. Breeds once or twice a year in temporary wetlands that have no fish. Females lay around 5 to 120 eggs in gelatinous enclosed clusters from December to February. Larvae transform into salamanders from March to late April. Can live up to 25 years.
Population Status
Ranked as S1 (critically imperiled) in Louisiana. Threats to population include habitat modification and destruction, agricultural runoff, introduction of predatory fish into permanent pools, expansion of bullfrog populations, and drought.
More Information/References
Rare Animal Fact Sheet: Tiger Salamander
Amphibians of Louisiana Poster
Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana, An Identification and Reference Guide