Spotted+Salamander

toc //Ambystoma maculatum //

Order: Caudata =**__Husbandry Information__**=

Diet Requirements

 * In the wild, spotted salamanders eat earthworms, snails, slugs, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, isopods, and insects.
 * In captivity, they are fed crickets.

Notes on Enrichment & Training


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Potential Messaging


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=__Comments from the Rating System__=
 * Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park: Generally, our little "Spot" is a good tool for explaining things like cutaneous respiration and ecosystems, but he isn't touchable and the kids are pretty (sadly) unimpressed.

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Range and Habitat
Spotted salamanders can be found from south-central Ontario to Nova Scotia, and south to Georgia and eastern Texas. Preferred habitat is hardwood forests and hillsides around pools and flooded areas.

Physical Description
The skin of a spotted salamander is blue-black or dark grey with two rows of yellow or orange spots that begin at the base of the head and continue down the back. The belly is slate gray. One of the larger members of the mole salamander family, spotted salamanders can reach 6 to 9.75 inches in length.

Life Cycle
Breeding occurs in March and April. Heavy rains and warming temperatures prompt migration to breeding ponds, which are semi-permanent ponds without fish. The female will lay one or more egg masses, each of which contain about 200 eggs. Larvae hatch 1 to 2 months after the eggs are laid. They look like tadpoles, but they have feathery gills branching out from their heads. At about 2 to 4 months of age, the larvae will transform into their adult form, although they will only be about 2.5 inches long. Spotted salamanders can live up to 20 years.

Behavior
Adult salamanders spend most of their time underground or under logs in order to keep their skin moist. Due to this fact, not much is known about adult behavior.

Threats and Conservation Status
The overall population of spotted salamanders is stable, but some regional population populations in the Northeast are declining due to pollution that halts the development of salamander eggs. Salamanders throughout their range are also threatened by habitat loss.

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=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * The Philadelphia Zoo