Added October 2003. Last updated 1 April 2014: added husbandry references and details for A. barbouri, A. mabeii, A. opacum, A. talpoideum and A. texanum, and updated Introduction, Bibliography and Links.
The Ambystomatidae are the largest families of salamanders, constituting a single genera of 30 or so species. Their distribution is exclusively in North America, from Canada to Mexico. Their common name of "mole salamanders" comes from their habit of burrowing, especially outside of the breeding season.
In addition to the normal bisexual species, Ambystoma also a number of unisexual forms, sometimes described as species, but more currently normally referred to by a series of letters reflecting their genetic complement. These forms are often polyploid, ie containing more than two sets of chromosomes (one from each parent), and their populations consist almost entirely of females. The genes invariably are inherited from one or more of the species A. laterale, A. jeffersonianum, A. texanum and A. tigrinum. See Petranka for a full discussion.
Ambystomatid species have frequently been kept in captivity, firstly because many occur within North America, and secondly because many make excellent terrarium subjects. Among these may be mentioned the well-known Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), the Tiger Salamander (A. tigrinum), the Marbled Salamander (A. opacum) and Spotted Salamander (A. maculosa). The following is a list of authors covering some of the species:
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Author/Species |
A. cingulatum |
A. gracile |
A. jeffersonianum |
A. macrodactylum |
A. maculatum |
A. mexicanum |
A. opacum |
A. tigrinum |
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Indiviglio |
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Scott |
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Zimmermann |
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This page is still under construction and will be updated on an ad hoc basis.
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A. altamirani, Mountain Stream Salamander |
A. amblycephalum, Blunt-Headed Salamander |
A. andersoni, Anderson's Salamander |
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A. annulatum, Ringed Salamander |
A. barbouri, Streamside Salamander |
A. bombypellum, Delicate-Skinned Salamander |
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A. californiense, California Tiger Salamander |
A. cingulatum, Flatwoods Salamander |
A. dumerilli, Lake Patzuaro Salamander |
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A. flavipiperatum, Yellow-Headed Salamander |
A. gracile, North-Western Salamander |
A. granulosum, Granular Salamander |
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A. jeffersonianum, Jefferson's Salamander |
A. laterale, Blue Salamander |
A. leorae, Leora's Salamander |
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A. lermaense, Lake Lerma Salamander |
A. mabeei, Mabee's Salamander |
A. macrodactylum, Long-Toed Salamander |
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A. maculatum, Spotted Salamander |
A. mavortium, Barred Tiger Salamander |
A. mexicanum, Axolotl |
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A. opacum, Marbled Salamander |
A. ordinarium, Puerto Honda Stream Salamander |
A. rivulare, Michoacan Stream Salamander |
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A. rosaceum, Tarahumara Salamander |
A. talpoideum, Mole Salamander |
A. taylori, Taylor's Salamander |
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A. texanum, Small-Mouthed Salamander |
A. tigrinum, Eastern Tiger Salamander |
A. velasci, Mexican Salamander |
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Species |
Common Name |
Distribution |
Size |
Notes |
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Mountain Stream Salamander |
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Blunt-Headed Salamander |
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Anderson's Salamander |
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Ringed Salamander |
USA (E Oklahoma, N & W Arkansas and C Missouri) |
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Streamside Salamander |
USA (NC & SW Kentucky, SW Ohio, SE Indiana and W West Virginia) |
4-5½”; max. 6⅝” |
An inhabitant of upland forests, living close to streams. Identical in appearance to the Smallmouth Salamander A. texanum. The two species can be distinguished by geographic range and their teeth: the cusps of the premaxillary and maxillary teeth are short and spatulate in A. barbouri, long and pointed in A. texanum [Petranka]. Colonies in SW Kentucky and W West Virginia are isolated. Reproduction: breeding season lasts early Dec to mid-April, not dependent on rainfall; breeds in streams with limestone bedrock and lays eggs singly. [SOURCE: Conant and Collins, Petranka] |
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Delicate-Skinned Salamander |
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California Tiger Salamander |
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Flatwoods Salamander |
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Lake Patzuaro Salamander |
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Yellow-Headed Salamander |
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North-Western Salamander |
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Granular Salamander |
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Jefferson's Salamander |
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Blue-Spotted Salamander |
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Leora's Salamander |
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Lake Lerma Salamander |
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Mabee's Salamander |
USA (Virgina, North Carolina and South Carolina) |
3-4”; max. 4½” |
Found along the coastal plain in its range. Description: jaw teeth in single row; small head; long toes. Coloration: dorsal coloration mainly deep brown to black; light specks present, which are palest and most conspicuous along the sides; belly dark brown to grey. [SOURCE: Conant and Collins] |
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Long-Toed Salamander |
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Spotted Salamander |
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Barred Tiger Salamander |
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Axolotl |
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Marbled Salamander |
USA (E Texas, SE Oklahama, Arkansas exc. NW, SE Missouri, S Illinois, SW Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, S Ohio, N Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia exc. SE, NW Florida, South Carolina, N Carolina except W, Tennessee exc. NE, E & C Philadelphia, Delaware, New Jersey, S New York State, Connecticut, Massachusetts, SE New Hampshire: isolated populations in south of Lakes Erie [Indiana and Michigan] and Michigan, SW Missouri and N Ohio and N Indiana) |
3½-4¼”, max. 5” |
A popular terrarium subject, also available in the UK from time to time. Found in a variety of habitats across much of SE and E USA. Coloration: variable light markings, usually in the form of crossbands, whitish in males, grey in females, against a black background; belly black. Reproduction: season is in autumn; female lays eggs in a depression which will be filled by rain and guards them until they are covered by water. The eggs are laid in a group but are not attached to one another. [SOURCE: Conant and Collins]. |
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Puerto Honda Stream Salamander |
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Michoacan Stream Salamander |
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Tarahumara Salamander |
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Mole Salamander |
USA (E Texas and extreme SE Oklahoma, N Louisiana, S & NE Arkansas, Mississippi exc. NE, W Tennessee, SE Illinois and SW Kentucky, S Alamabama, S Georgia, N Florida, S South Carolina: isolated populations in Virgina, North and South Carolina, N Alabama, N Georgia, C & SE Tennessee and Kentucky) |
3-4”; max. 4¾”; TL 8-12cm |
Mainly a burrower of lowlands and valleys. When attacked, individuals may make a head-down defensive posture. Parotoid glands also produce noxious secretions. Description: head and feet large compared to overall size; head is rounded; tail short. Coloration: overall black, brown or grey; bluish-white pale flecks. Reproduction: most Gulf Coastal Plain females lay their eggs in small clusters, often on the same twig, whereas those along the Atlantic Coastal Plain scatter their eggs singly in ponds: clutch sizes of the latter also tend to be larger. Fish-free ponds are preferred. At the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, breeding has been observed from September to late March. Emigration from the ponds occurs in March. [SOURCE: Conant and Collins, Petranka] |
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Taylor's Salamander |
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Small-Mouthed Salamander |
USA (NC & SW Kentucky, SW Ohio, SE Indiana and W West Virginia) |
4-5½”; max. 7” |
An inhabitant of upland forests, living close to streams. Identical in appearance to the Smallmouth Salamander A. texanum. Colonies in SW Kentucky and W West Virginia are isolated. Description: small head and small mouth. Coloration: overall black to very dark brown; usually pattern of lichenlike markings present, varying greatly in intensity between individuals, some specimens having markings concentrated on back and upper sides, others, especially towards northeast of range, being almost plain black, and Texas specimens being very heavily speckled with the light markings especially large and prominent on the lower sides. Reproduction: breeding season lasts early Dec to mid-April, not dependent on rainfall; breeds in streams with limestone bedrock and lays eggs singly. Hybridizes with Blue-Spotted and Tiger Salamanders. [SOURCE: Conant and Collins] |
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Eastern Tiger Salamander |
USA |
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Both a very intelligent amphibian and a popular terrarium subject. Tiger Salamanders are highly predatory. Cannibalism is rife among some populations, and has the curious effect of changing the skull shape of those individuals practising it. Duellman also notes an incident in 1947 where a large adult Tiger Salamander was observed to attack and eat a garter snake (Thamnophis s. sirtalis) in the same cage. This was a lengthy process, not least because the snake was 17cm long and the salamander scarcely larger at 21cm. Accurate knowledge of the ranges of the species and its various species has been complicated by the wide transportation and use of the species as fish bait. |
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A. t. tigrinum |
Eastern Tiger Salamander |
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A. t. diaboli |
Grey Tiger Salamander |
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Coloration: light olive to dark brown; scattered small dark spots, dark brown to black, on back and sides. Reproduction: frequently neotenic. {SOURCE: Conant and Collins] |
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A. t. mavortium |
Barred Tiger Salamander |
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Now considered a separate subspecies: see entry above. |
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A. melanostictum |
Blotched Tiger Salaman |
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Coloration: dark ground coloration reduced to a network; light areas dull yellow with indefinite borders. |
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Mexican Tiger Salamander |
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Bibliography - Ambystomatidae
There seems to be no one single work (at least outside academic circles) dealing with the family Ambystomatidae in its entirety. However, there is information both in print and on the Internet on the individual species and genera, both natural history and captive husbandry, far more so than for many of the other Caudata families.
Keeping and Breeding Amphibians, Chris Mattison, Blandford Press. Good introduction to the subject, covers some of the better known ambystomid species.
The Proper Care of Amphibians, John Coborn, TFH, 1992. Although I have been often critical of Coborn's books in the past - some, notably on lizards, have contained erroneous information - this is not a bad one. It is very useful for an oversight of all the amphibian families and contains some information on many species which are rarely seen in captivity.
"An Ambystoma eats a snake", William E Duellman, Herpetologica Vol 4.
Links
AmphibiaWeb is a useful source for species lists and has information on some if not most of the species.
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