Identification
The Blue-spotted Salamander is a thin species that closely resembles the Jefferson
Salamander. It is bluish-black in coloration and has blue and white flecks on
the back and bluish-white spots on the sides of the body and tail. The toes
are long, and the body is elongated, but it is somewhat stockier than that of
the Jefferson Salamander. The belly may be paler than the body, but the vent
(on the underside of the body, by the base of the tail) area is generally black.
It has between 12-14 grooves on the side of the body (costal grooves), and grows
to lengths of 7.6-14 cm (3-5.5 in). The Blue-spotted Salamander hybrizes with
other salamanders, most notably the Jefferson Salamander.
Distribution and Status
The Blue-spotted Salamander is able to survive cooler temperatures and as such
its distribution spans much of the northeast portion of the US, as well as southeast
Canada. They and can be found from New England west through the Great Lakes
basin, north through southeastern Manitoba and east across southern Ontario,
Quebec and Newfoundland. Disjunct populations are found in Iowa, and in Manitoba
and Newfoundland in Canada. Hybridization with the Jefferson Salamander occurs
from Nova Scotia west to northern Wisconsin. The Blue-spotted Salamander survives
in all of the Midwestern states except Missouri. It is listed as State Endangered
in Ohio and Iowa, and as a Species of Concern in Indiana.
Ecology
Found in a variety of habitats, the Blue-spotted Salamander prefers both deciduous
and coniferous forests, where they can be found beneath logs, rocks, leaf litter,
or in burrows of small woodland animals. Ponds that retain water into midsummer
are vital for breeding, and the salamanders will migrate there to reproduce.
Threats and Management Issues
Logging operations, especially the clear cutting of woodlands, are one of the
greatest threats to this forest floor inhabitant. The construction, and presence,
of roads that intersect the migration route to breeding ponds also threaten
the persistence of this species.
Resources
General reference guides
and websites.
Reference guides and websites specific to Amphibians.
Links to more information on the Blue-spotted Salamander outside the Herp Center
Illinois Natural History Survey
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499