Characteristics:
A large, about 8in, thick-bodied salamander. Their back is black or dark brown with 2 irregular rows of yellow or yellow-orange spots. These spots start just behind the eye and continue all the way down the tail. Their belly is light gray. They have 12 costal grooves. Sometimes unspotted individuals turn up, but it is rare.
Habitat:
Found in deciduous bottomland forests. Adequate breeding ponds are required.
Behavior:
They spend most of the year under debris or under ground. They are most often sighted while moving to breeding ponds in the spring. Males usually outnumber the females at breeding sights and so compete heavily for mates. They usually return to the pond they themselves were hatched in, even if another pond is closer. They attach egg masses to submerged vegetation and sticks. Adult spotted salamanders are aggressive predators and
will eat a variety of different invertebrates.
Personal Remarks:
Seeing the breeding migration of this salamander is quite a spectacle. They show up in large numbers and are often intermingled with small-mouthed salamanders and even tiger salamanders sometimes. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only is is a sure thing that we will see these guys, but it also marks the beginning of the herping season for us. This is usually our first real herping trip of the year. The Spotted Salamander migration is something I will always look forward to.
A large, about 8in, thick-bodied salamander. Their back is black or dark brown with 2 irregular rows of yellow or yellow-orange spots. These spots start just behind the eye and continue all the way down the tail. Their belly is light gray. They have 12 costal grooves. Sometimes unspotted individuals turn up, but it is rare.
Habitat:
Found in deciduous bottomland forests. Adequate breeding ponds are required.
Behavior:
They spend most of the year under debris or under ground. They are most often sighted while moving to breeding ponds in the spring. Males usually outnumber the females at breeding sights and so compete heavily for mates. They usually return to the pond they themselves were hatched in, even if another pond is closer. They attach egg masses to submerged vegetation and sticks. Adult spotted salamanders are aggressive predators and
will eat a variety of different invertebrates.
Personal Remarks:
Seeing the breeding migration of this salamander is quite a spectacle. They show up in large numbers and are often intermingled with small-mouthed salamanders and even tiger salamanders sometimes. This is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only is is a sure thing that we will see these guys, but it also marks the beginning of the herping season for us. This is usually our first real herping trip of the year. The Spotted Salamander migration is something I will always look forward to.
