Current Species Status
The eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) is designated as State Endangered under Virginia’s Endangered Species Act and is a Tier Ia Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in Virginia’s 2025 Wildlife Action Plan (WAP). This ranking indicates it faces an extremely high risk of extirpation, and that managers have identified “on the ground” species or habitat management strategies expected to benefit the species; at least some of which can be implemented with existing resources and are expected to have a reasonable chance of improving the species’ conservation status.
In Virginia, there are two unique lineages of eastern tiger salamander, the Ridge and Valley lineage and the Coastal Plain lineage (see Distribution for additional information). The Ridge and Valley population occurs almost entirely on protected lands in Augusta County, while the Coastal Plain population occurs exclusively on unprotected lands in Westmoreland, Mathews, York, and Isle of Wight counties. Because of the genetic distinction between the two populations and the difference in occupied habitat protection, the conservation goals for these two populations also are disparate.
Conservation Goals
- protect all known breeding locations by working with private and public landowners to monitor and manage these sites appropriately,
- acquire private lands known to have breeding sites,
- establish new populations via translocation efforts within protected areas,
- when appropriate, create new breeding sites for translocation,
- continue surveying for new breeding sites, and
- continue coordinating regional conservation efforts through Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (NEPARC) and the associated Northeast Tiger Salamander Working Group (NETSWG).