Characteristics:
This salamander is the largest in IL and MO, reaching a length of just over a foot. They have a very variable color pattern. Usually they are dark with irregular yellow or even greenish spots. The tiger salamander has a rather large head compared to other salamanders. They have 12-13 costal grooves.
*Note: The tiger salamanders around here are considered to be a subspecies called the eastern tiger salamander (A. t. tigrinum).
Habitat:
Found in a wide variety of habitats including forests, floodplains, prairies, and even cultivated fields.
Behavior:
Although populations may be stable, they are not often seen because they spend much of their time in burrows or under logs. They are most often seen in the spring when they are moving to breeding ponds where the females attach egg masses to submerged vegetation.
The eastern tiger salamander was adopted as the IL state amphibian in 2005. Tiger salamander larvae are ferocious predators and play an important ecological role in these ponds they are raised in. Sometimes you can find them for sale as fish bait, where they are often incorrectly labeled as "waterdogs". The tiger salamander is the largest salamander in this area, and the eastern tiger salamander was adopted as the IL state amphibian in 2005.
Personal Remarks:
I wish I knew of a better location to see these guys at. The only one I know of is not a very large population so they are few and far between. Mostly we see them during the spotted salamander migration in the spring. A full grown adult is a pretty awesome sight, they get surprisingly big!
This salamander is the largest in IL and MO, reaching a length of just over a foot. They have a very variable color pattern. Usually they are dark with irregular yellow or even greenish spots. The tiger salamander has a rather large head compared to other salamanders. They have 12-13 costal grooves.
*Note: The tiger salamanders around here are considered to be a subspecies called the eastern tiger salamander (A. t. tigrinum).
Habitat:
Found in a wide variety of habitats including forests, floodplains, prairies, and even cultivated fields.
Behavior:
Although populations may be stable, they are not often seen because they spend much of their time in burrows or under logs. They are most often seen in the spring when they are moving to breeding ponds where the females attach egg masses to submerged vegetation.
The eastern tiger salamander was adopted as the IL state amphibian in 2005. Tiger salamander larvae are ferocious predators and play an important ecological role in these ponds they are raised in. Sometimes you can find them for sale as fish bait, where they are often incorrectly labeled as "waterdogs". The tiger salamander is the largest salamander in this area, and the eastern tiger salamander was adopted as the IL state amphibian in 2005.
Personal Remarks:
I wish I knew of a better location to see these guys at. The only one I know of is not a very large population so they are few and far between. Mostly we see them during the spotted salamander migration in the spring. A full grown adult is a pretty awesome sight, they get surprisingly big!
