Identification
The
Spotted Salamander is fairly stout in build and grows to lengths of 10.8-24.8
cm (4.3-9.8 in), and has 11-13 groves on each side of its body (costal grooves).
They are generally black, bluish-black, dark grey, or brown in coloration and
have up to 50 round spots on the body that vary from yellow to whitish, tan
or orange. The spots extend over the length of the body, from the eye to the
tail. The ventral surface, or belly, is slate gray.
Distribution and Status
The range of the Spotted Salamander extends throughout most of the eastern half of the US, as well as parts of southern Canada. Florida, as well as southern sections of the Atlantic coastal plain are not inhabited by this species. Within the Midwest, the Spotted Salamander is found in all states except Minnesota and Iowa.
Ecology
While Spotted Salamanders prefer deciduous forests in close proximity to vernal ponds, they will also inhabit coniferous and mixed forests. They spend most of their time in the burrows of small mammals or under rocks, decaying logs, or in wet leaf litter. Their defensive strategy, like that of many other salamander species, is to secrete a noxious chemical that wards off mammalian, avian, or reptilian predators.
Threats and Management Issues
The Spotted Salamander has been collected for both the biological supply and
pet trade industries in the past. Other noted reasons for declines in Spotted
Salamander populations include habitat destruction and low, or acidic, pH levels
in breeding ponds.
Resources
General reference guides
and websites.
Reference guides and websites specific to Amphibians.
Links to more information on the Spotted Salamander outside the Herp Center
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
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