Identification
Adult
Mole Salamanders can take either terrestrial or gilled (aquatic) form. The terrestrial,
non-gilled adults are stocky with short tails and limbs, and have a large head.
They are typically light brown, light bluish-gray, or blackish in color and
have a pattern of grey or bluish-white flecks. The aquatic, gilled adults often
have a conspicuous light cream or yellow stripe down the sides of the body.
Distribution and Status
This species natural range extends from the Coastal Plain and southeastern US
from South Carolina to east Texas, and northward into southern Illinois. There
are disjunct populations in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In the Midwest, the Mole Salamander
survives in Illinois, and in Missouri, where it is imperiled.
Ecology
Both pine and hardwood forests are home to the Mole Salamander. Populations
may include all terrestrial or a mix of terrestrial and aquatic adults. Terrestrial
adults are mostly found in areas where temporary ponds dry annually, while gilled
adults are found in areas with more permanent water. Terrestrial adults are
able to make their own burrows, and are known to widen cracks or crevices to
do so. Aquatic adults live in water and feed on pond invertebrates.
Threats and Management Issues
Timber harvesting operations and the conversion of wetlands to urban or agricultural
land has greatly reduced Mole Salamander populations across their range.
Resources
General reference guides
and websites.
Reference guides and websites specific to Amphibians.
Links to more information on the Mole Salamander outside the Herp Center
Illinois Natural History Survey
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