Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum ()
Eytmology: Greek; maculatus, spotted
Size: 6"-10" (150mm-250mm)
Lifespan:
Colorations: The spotted salamander has a black shiny dorsum, which fades to a slate gray on the lower sides. Their back head and tail will be decorated with largish yellow/orange spots. On the ventral side they lack pattern and remain a slate gray.
There have been reports of albinos of spotted salamanders, so paler individuals my very well be found. Albinos can be identified by the build of the salamander and other physical characteristics.
Characteristics: Spotted salamanders are not a slender animal, they have a heavy build for thier size and have well developed legs. The head is slightly flattend and broad. They possess a distinct neck that helps to distingush their head from the rest of the body. Along the sides are noticable costal grooves, which can range from 11 to 13
Habitat: Vernal woodland ponds tend to be the prefered habitat of the spotted salamander. They are most often found in deciduous forests, although they have been noted to live in coniferous forest. They also do not seem differentiate between upland ridges or lowland woods.
Behavior: Spotted salamanders have an earlier breeding season, starting with the first decent warm rain after the spring thaw. This activity can be as earlier as late February when there is a mild winter. During breeding season spotted salamanders can be found migrating to their breeding pools and at the breeding pools. When found at the breeding pool you are more likely to find masses of spotted salamanders, especially at night. These masses of salamanders are a mating group. During this time males will lay spermatophore and the females will take them up.
After breeding season is over they tend to retreat back to their burrows and spend the majority of the year underground. This makes finding spotted salamanders very difficult unless you see them early in year or find their eggs. Spotted salamanders also have a tendancy to retreat to their burrows quicker then other salamanders do. When they are not able to retreat underground they will become defensive and arch their tail.
Distribution: Spotted salamanders have a wide range and cover the state of PA. However while spotted salamanders can be found in almost any county because of their special needs in habitat and short activity during the year they can be a most difficult salamander to find and to judge poputation sizes.
Larva and eggs: Spotted salamanders will tend to lay their eggs attached to vegetation however if lacking this option they will lay their eggs along the bottom. Eggs masses will also start out small and within a day or two the jelly protecting the eggs will swell to two or three times the size as when it was first layed. Individual spotted salamanders will lay multiple egg masses. Many of the eggs masses will slowly change to a green color as a symbionic algae grows in the jelly helping to produce oxygen for the eggs. It may take 30-50 days for the eggs of a spotted salamander to hatch.
When larvae first hatch they will be around 0.25"-0.5" (11mm-13mm). Spotted salamander larvae are carnivorous and can be cannibalistic to smaller, later hatching larvae. They transform around August or earlier September. In rare cases when the water has been overly cold or the summer short they have been known to over winter and transform early the next year. At the time of transformation larvae can be anywhere from 1.5"-2.75" (40mm-70mm).
Confusing Species: Without seeing a picture or really hearing a description a spotted salamander may be confused with a northern slimy salamander. While they are both black and can be around the same size the slimy salamander will have small white spots unlike the larger yellow spots of the spotted. Also the black of the slimy salamander is a much duller color and lacks the luster of the spotted salamander.
Sources: Arthur Hulse, C. and McCoy C. J. and Ellen Censky ,1998. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. pp. 55-59