Spotted salamander
Spotted salamander | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Urodela |
Family: | Ambystomatidae |
Genus: | Ambystoma |
Species: | A. maculatum
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Binomial name | |
Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw, 1802)
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Range of A. maculatum | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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The spotted salamander or yellow-spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is a
Description
The spotted salamander is about 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) long,[7] with females generally being larger than males.[8] They are stout, like most mole salamanders, and have wide snouts.[3] The spotted salamander's main color is black, but can sometimes be a blueish-black, dark gray, dark green, or even dark brown. Two uneven rows of yellowish-orange spots run from the top of the head (near the eyes) to the tip of the tail (dorso-lateral ranging).[9] The spotted salamander's spots near the top of its head are more orange, while the spots on the rest of its body are more yellow. The underside of the spotted salamander is slate gray and pink. Sexual dimorphism, physical differences between males and females, is displayed in the form of larger-bodied females having brighter-coloured spots.[10] Males will have a larger portion of their dorsal surface covered in spots that are less bright. There is also a correlation between body condition and spots having lower chroma.[10]
The scientific name Ambystoma maculatum comes from Ambystoma– amblys (Greek) for blunt; -stoma (Greek) meaning mouth; or anabystoma (New Latin) meaning ‘to cram into the mouth’ maculatum – macula (Latin) for spot; maculosus (Latin) for spotted.[11]
They developed larger tail fins and bodies to compete with other predators.[9] They typically live around 20 years, but some have lived up to 30 years. ("Spotted Salamander")
Habitat and dispersal
The spotted salamander usually lives in mature forests with ponds or ephemeral vernal pools for breeding sites.[12] Vernal pools are suitable breeding sites for these amphibians as they dry often enough to exclude fish that eat the salamander eggs and larvae, while retaining water long enough to allow amphibian larvae to complete development and metamorphose into terrestrial adults.[13] A study showed larger pools (as opposed to smaller pools) had more egg masses, higher occupancy, and higher larval survival rates for spotted salamanders.[14] Outside of the breeding season, these salamanders spend their time in forests with well-drained soils that contain many burrows dug by small mammals.[8] They have also been known to be absent from landscapes and forest with canopy cover below 30%.[15]
Salamander populations from nearby pools form genetically-distinct metapopulations. Subpopulations within 4.8 kilometers share a higher proportion of genes, while populations greater than 4.8 kilometers share a smaller proportion of genes. Inter-population dispersal is likely mediated by both species-specific behaviors and natural limitations.[16]
Behavior
Spotted salamanders are
In
Ambystoma maculatum has several methods of defense, including hiding in burrows or
Ambystoma maculatum tend to follow the same path in their migration to and from their burrows and breeding pools.[22] They accomplish their journey in conditions that lack visual cues, since it is usually during periods of cloud cover. Some studies show evidence of landmark learning in spotted salamanders. Researchers found that spotted salamanders can associate visual landmarks with food. Thus spotted salamanders may learn landmarks in their habitat that are reliable indicators of resource locations or provide orientation clues for migration to and from breeding ponds.[23]
Male salamanders come out earlier than females due to different responses in temperature than females.[24] According to a study there is a correlation between the salamander's spot coloration and body condition. Salamanders' in lower body condition had less color and those with a better body score had brighter colored spots.[10]
Diet
Spotted salamanders feed on earthworms, slugs, snails, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, insects, algae and other invertebrates.
Lifecycle
During the majority of the year, spotted salamanders live in the shelter of leaves or burrows in deciduous forests. However, when the temperature rises and the moisture level is high, the salamanders make their abrupt migration towards their annual breeding ponds. Recent studies, however, indicate that temperature may be a more important factor than precipitation, as precipitation in winter months increase, yet salamanders do not migrate.[24] In just one night, hundreds to thousands of salamanders may make the trip to their ponds for mating.[17] Males will start a dance-like behavior called a liebsspiel, where afterward they lay down their spermatophore. This dance includes the salamanders circling around one another and putting their head's on one another's tail. Then, the male will swim away wiggling his tail. If the female wants to mate she will follow him to a sperm pack he made earlier. ("Spotted Salamander Ambystoma Maculatum") [29] Males will migrate at higher rates than females early in the migration season. This could be due to different responses to temperature between males and females.[24] Mates usually breed in ponds when it is raining in the spring. Females usually lay about 100 eggs in one clutch that cling to the underwater plants and form egg masses.
The egg masses are round, jelly-like clumps that are usually 6.4–10.2 cm (2.5–4 in) long. The spotted salamander produces a unique polymorphism in the outer jelly layers of its egg masses: one morph has a clear appearance and contains a water-soluble protein, whereas the other morph is white and contains a crystalline hydrophobic protein.[30][31] This polymorphism is thought to confer advantages in vernal pools with varying dissolved nutrient levels, while also reducing mortality from feeding by wood frog larvae.[32][33]
Adults only stay in the water for a few days, then the eggs hatch in one to two months. When the eggs hatch depends on the water temperatures. Eggs of A. maculatum can have a
As larvae, they are usually light brown or greenish-yellow. They have small dark spots and are born with external gills. In two to four months, the larvae lose their gills, and become juvenile salamanders that leave the water. Spotted salamanders have been known to live up to 32 years,[39] and normally return to the same vernal pool every year. These pools are seasonal and will usually dry up during the late spring and stay dry until winter.
Spotted salamanders are often preyed on by raccoons, skunks, turtles, and snakes. For this reason they perform an important function by connecting the food chain.[8] Moreover, one of their predators is humans since they are popularly[40] sought out through the pet trade.
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Polymorphic spotted salamander egg masses: white morph (left) and clear morph (right)
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Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) larva
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An adult spotted salamander seen crawling on the forest floor in central Ontario.
References
- ^ . Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ . Retrieved 22 March 2021.
- ^ a b "ADW: Ambystoma maculatum". Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- .
- ^ Frazer, Jennifer (May 18, 2018). "Algae Living inside Salamanders Aren't Happy about the Situation". Scientific American Blog Network.
- PMID 28462779.
- ISBN 9781560988281.
- ^ S2CID 90702202.
- ^ .
- ^ S2CID 53598532.
- ^ "Spotted Salamander – INHS Herpetology Collection". Herpetology.inhs.illinois.edu. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "AmphibiaWeb - Ambystoma maculatum". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
- JSTOR 1565239.
- ISSN 1424-2818.
- .
- S2CID 8405608.
- ^ a b Marion, Jonah (April 25, 2018). "Spotted Salamander Migration". Cornell wildlife blogs. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ DeGray, Nick (28 February 2024). "Salamander crossing: Drivers prepare to stop on Henry Street in Amherst". WWLP. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ Hofherr, Justine (25 March 2015). "There Are Teeny Tiny Underpasses for Salamanders in Massachusetts". www.boston.com. Boston globe Media Partners, LLC. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ Carlsson, Lars (2010-08-06). "CellNEWS: Salamander Regeneration Trick Replicated in Mouse Muscle Cells". Cellnews-blog.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- S2CID 86129709.
- S2CID 35710926.
- S2CID 45373288.
- ^ JSTOR 1446443.
- ^ "Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) : Wildlife Fact Sheet" (PDF). Portal.ct.gov. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Yellow Spotted Salamander Facts, Habitat, Diet, Life Cycle, Baby, Pictures". Animalspot.net. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- PMC 5869354.
- ^ a b "The Yellow-Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) Care and Info". Crazycrittersinc.com. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Virginia Herpetological Society". www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
- .
- JSTOR 1565152.
- PMID 28247910.
- JSTOR 3893392.
- JSTOR 1539111.
- ^ "Spotted Salamander - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". Sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
- S2CID 31077320.
- S2CID 14196337.
- S2CID 21203661.
- doi:10.1139/z92-108.
- ^ Spinner, Leo (2011-11-30). "Spotted Salamander Care Sheet". Reptiles Magazine. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
External links
- Ambystoma maculatum at CalPhotos
- Yellow-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum), Natural Resources Canada