Ambystomatidae - Mole Salamanders |
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 The species in this family of salamanders are only found in North America. They are called mole salamanders because they are nocturnal and spend the day in leaf litter or in burrows on the forest floor.
They are 4-12 inches in length and have long, flattened tails; small eyes; stout bodies; smooth skin; and short, rounded heads. Some species, like the tiger salamander, have bright spots. Mole salamanders also have costal grooves (vertical grooves) on their sides. The species in this family eat insects and invertebrates.
In the early spring, some species of mole salamanders migrate in large groups to ponds or streams to breed. They lay their eggs in clumps on submerged material in the water. Young mole salamanders live in the water and have external gills. Most species eventually lose their gills and move onto land, but some species spend their entire life in the water.
 Ambystomatidae Gallery
World Status Key
 Least Concern  Near Threatened  Vulnerable  Endangered  Critically Endangered  Extinct in Wild  Extinct  Not Enough Data
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist.
U.S. Status Key
 Threatened in US  Endangered in US  Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife. Click on U.S. status icon to go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife species profile.
New Hampshire Status Key
 Threatened in NH  Endangered in NH  Breeds in NH (birds)
Status taken from NH Fish and Game
Location Key
 Africa  Asia  Australia/Oceania  Europe  North America  South America  NH
More Info
 Click for More Info  Click for Image
Resource Key
 Profile  Photos  Video  Audio
New Hampshire Species
Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale
Jefferson Salamander - Ambystoma jeffersonianum
Marbled Salamander - Ambystoma opacum
Spotted Salamander - Ambystoma maculatum
North/Central American Species
Anderson's Salamander - Ambystoma andersoni
Axolotl - Ambystoma mexicanum
Blunt-headed Salamander - Ambystoma amblycephalum
California Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma californiense
Delicate-skinned Salamander - Ambystoma bombypellum
Pine Woods Salamander - Ambystoma silvense
Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum
Frosted Flatwoods Salamander - Ambystoma cingulatum
Granular Salamander - Ambystoma granulosum
Lake Lerma Salamander - Ambystoma lermaense
Lake Pátzcuaro Salamander - Ambystoma dumerilii
Leora's Stream Salamander - Ambystoma leorae
Long-toed Salamander - Ambystoma macrodactylum
Mabee's Salamander - Ambystoma mabeei
Michoacan Stream Salamander - Ambystoma ordinarium
Mexico Stream Salamander - Ambystoma rivulare
Mole Salamander - Ambystoma talpoideum
Mountain Stream Salamander - Ambystoma altamirani
Northwestern Salamander - Ambystoma gracile
Plateau Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma velasci
Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander - Ambystoma bishopi
Ringed Salamander - Ambystoma annulatum
Smallmouth Salamander - Ambystoma texanum
Streamside Salamander - Ambystoma barbouri
Tarahumara Salamander - Ambystoma rosaceum
Taylor's Salamander - Ambystoma taylori
Yellow-Peppered Salamander - Ambystoma flavipiperatum
Species Around the World
Additional Information
Mountain Stream Salamander - Ambystoma altamirani
The mountain stream salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Blunt-headed Salamander - Ambystoma amblycephalum
The blunt-headed salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Anderson's Salamander - Ambystoma andersoni
Anderson's salamander is found in Northwestern Michoacán, Mexico in only one lake, Lago Zacapu, and its surrounding streams. It spends its whole life in the water.
Source: Caudata Culture Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Anderson's Salamander - Ambystoma andersoni
Anderson's salamander is reddish-brown with black spots.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Ringed Salamander - Ambystoma annulatum
The ringed salamander is found in the Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains of southern Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, western Arkansas and southwestern Illinois.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Ringed Salamander - Ambystoma annulatum
The ringed salamander has white to ring-link yellow bands running the length of its body.
Source: Caudata Culture Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Ringed Salamander - Ambystoma annulatum
The ringed salamander usually breeds between September and early November.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Streamside Salamander - Ambystoma barbouri
The streamside salamander is 4.5-5.5 inches long.. It is found in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Tennessee.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Streamside Salamander - Ambystoma barbouri
The streamside salamander's breeding season lasts from late fall to early spring.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander - Ambystoma bishopi
The reticulated flatwoods salamander is found in the western part of the Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia westward to extreme southwestern Alabama. Its population is estimated to be around 1,000 individuals.
Source: Caudata Culture Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander - Ambystoma bishopi
The reticulated flatwoods salamander spends most of its time in the leaf litter.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Delicate-skinned Salamander - Ambystoma bombypellum
The delicate-skinned salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
California Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma californiense
The California tiger salamander is found in Sacramento-San Joaquin river valleys. In parts of its range, it is listed as threatened or endangered.
Source: California Herps Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
California Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma californiense
The California tiger salamander is black with white or yellow bars. Adult California tiger salamanders spend much of their time underground.
Source: US Fish and Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
California Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma californiense
Adult California tiger salamanders are around 7.5 inches long.
Source: Stanford University Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
California Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma californiense
The California tiger salamanders has broad rounded snout and small eyes.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
California Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma californiense
California tiger salamanders move to breeding ponds during the rainy season between November and May.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Frosted Flatwoods Salamander -Ambystoma cingulatum
The frosted flatwoods salamander is found in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.
Source: Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Frosted Flatwoods Salamander -Ambystoma cingulatum
The frosted flatwoods salamander is usually found under logs near small cypress ponds.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Frosted Flatwoods Salamander -Ambystoma cingulatum
The frosted flatwoods salamander breeds in the fall.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Lake Pátzcuaro Salamander - Ambystoma dumerilii
The Lake Pátzcuaro salamander is only found in Lake Pátzcuaro in northwestern Michoacan, Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Yellow-Peppered Salamander - Ambystoma flavipiperatum
The yellow-peppered salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Northwestern Salamander - Ambystoma gracile
The northwestern salamander is found from southeastern Alaska along the Pacific coasts of British Columbia , Washington, Oregon, and northern California.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Northwestern Salamander - Ambystoma gracile
When threatened,
northwestern salamanders sometimes makes a ticking sound.
Source: California Herps Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Northwestern Salamander - Ambystoma gracile
Northwestern salamanders are found at altitudes from sea level to 10,000 feet.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Granular Salamander - Ambystoma granulosum
The granular salamanders is found in Mexico.
Source: EDGE Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Jefferson Salamander - Ambystoma jeffersonianum
The Jefferson salamander is found from southern New England, south and southwest through Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Jefferson Salamander - Ambystoma jeffersonianum
The Jefferson salamander is found in southwest New Hampshire, near the Connecticut River.
Source: NH Fish and Game Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Jefferson Salamander - Ambystoma jeffersonianum
The Jefferson salamander often crossbreeds with the blue-spotted salamander, producing a fertile hybrid known as the triploid Jefferson’s salamander.
Source: Maryland Department of Natural Resources Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary School
Jefferson Salamander - Ambystoma jeffersonianum
Male Jefferson salamanders migrate to breeding ponds between December and early March.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale
The blue-spotted salamander lives in deciduous and coniferous forests.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale
The blue-spotted salamander is found throughout New Hampshire.
Source: NH Fish and Game Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale
The blue-spotted salamander is black with turquoise or pale blue flecks and spots.
Source: BioKids Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary School
Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale
The blue-spotted salamander has a large head, protruding eyes and a stocky body.
Source: Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Blue-spotted Salamander - Ambystoma laterale
The blue-spotted salamander's breeding season usually only lasts a few days.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Lake Lerma Salamander - Ambystoma lermaense
The Lake Lerma salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: EDGE Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Leora's Stream Salamander - Ambystoma leorae
Leora's stream salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Mabee's Salamander - Ambystoma mabeei
Mabee's salamander is found on the coastal plains of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Mabee's Salamander - Ambystoma mabeei
Mabee's salamander burrows near breeding ponds.
Source: Caudata Culture Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Mabee's Salamander - Ambystoma mabeei
Mabee's salamander breeds from late fall to early spring.
Source: Savannah River Ecology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Long-toed Salamander - Ambystoma macrodactylum
The long-toed salamander is found from British Columbia and Alberta, Canada south to California, Idaho, and western Montana.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Long-toed Salamander - Ambystoma macrodactylum
The long-toed salamander is 4-6.5 inches in length.
Source: California Herps Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Long-toed Salamander - Ambystoma macrodactylum
The long-toed salamander is dark to black above with a gold, yellow, tan, or green stripe running from its head almost to the tip of its tail.
Source: USGS Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Spotted Salamander - Ambystoma maculatum
Spotted salamanders are found in eastern North America.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Source: National Geographic Creature Feature Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School
Spotted Salamander - Ambystoma maculatum
Spotted salamanders are found throughout New Hampshire.
Source: NH Fish and Game Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Spotted Salamander - Ambystoma maculatum
Spotted salamanders migrate to breeding ponds at night during or just following early spring rains.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Axolotl - Ambystoma mexicanum
The Axolotl was once found in found in Lakes Chalco and Xochimilco near Mexico City, Mexico, but it has disappeared from most of its range. In the wild, axolotls rarely, if ever, metamorphose and adults keep their external gills.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Axolotl - Ambystoma mexicanum
The Axolotl is also called the Mexican salamander and the Mexican walking fish.
Source: Caudata Culture Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Axolotl - Ambystoma mexicanum
The Axolotl can grow to be up to 12 inches in length..
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Marbled Salamander - Ambystoma opacum
The marbled salamander is found throughout most of the eastern United States.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Marbled Salamander - Ambystoma opacum
In New Hampshire, the marbled salamander is found in areas along the Massachusetts border.
Source: NH Fish and Game Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Marbled Salamander - Ambystoma opacum
The marbled salamander breeds on land.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Michoacan Stream Salamander - Ambystoma ordinarium
The Michoacan stream salamander is found in northeastern parts of the Mexican state of Michoacan.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Mexico Stream Salamander - Ambystoma rivulare
The Mexican stream salamander is highly aquatic. It is found in high-elevations in the states of Michoacan and Mexico, Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Tarahumara Salamander - Ambystoma rosaceum
The Tarahumara salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Pine Woods Salamander - Ambystoma silvense
The pine woods salamander is found in the state of Durango in western Mexico and is also known as the Durango salamander.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Mole Salamander - Ambystoma talpoideum
The mole salamander is found in the southeastern and central United States.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Mole Salamander - Ambystoma talpoideum
Mole salamanders rarely get larger than 4.5 inches in total length.
Source: Savannah River Ecology Lab Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Mole Salamander - Ambystoma talpoideum
Mole salamanders can be brown, gray, or black with light speckling on their tail and back.
Source: Davidson College Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Mole Salamander - Ambystoma talpoideum
Mole salamanders breed from December to March.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Taylor's Salamander - Ambystoma taylori
Taylor's salamander is found only in Laguna Alchichica, a high-altitude crater lake 24 miles southwest of Perote, Puebla, Mexico in Central Mexico. It is threatened by falling water levels and increased lake salinity.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Smallmouth Salamander - Ambystoma texanum
Small-mouthed salamanders are found from northeastern Ohio west into Missouri and eastern Nebraska.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Smallmouth Salamander - Ambystoma texanum
The small-mouthed salamander is black to brown with a short, rounded snout.
Source: BioKids Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary School
Smallmouth Salamander - Ambystoma texanum
Smallmouth salamanders are found in forested bottomlands.
Source: Michigan State University Extension Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Smallmouth Salamander - Ambystoma texanum
Smallmouth salamanders migrate to breeding sites during warm rains from late winter to early spring.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum
The adult eastern tiger salamander has a thick, black body with yellow blotches or spots.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum
The eastern tiger salamander is found from southern Canada across most of the U.S. except for the Great Basin, New England, and the Appalachian mountains. It is also found in northern Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School
Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum
Eastern tiger salamanders can live 12 to 15 years in the wild.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Eastern Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma tigrinum
Eastern tiger salamanders can be a long as 13.7 inches in length and are the world's largest land salamanders.
Source: Caudata Culture Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School
Plateau Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma velasci
The plateau tiger salamander is found in Mexico.
Source: AmphibiaWeb Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School |
