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Eastern Tiger Salamander

Fact File

Scientific Name: Ambystoma tigrinum

Classification: Amphibian

Conservation Status:

Size: Up to 12 inches

Life Span: These special can live 25 years as aquatic adults and 16 years as terrestrial adults

Identifying Characteristics

Tiger Salamanders have robust bodies and large heads. Adults are bluish gray to nearly black with irregularly shaped yellowish spots that turn into bars on the tail. Bellies are olive yellow to cream with faint dark smudges. Larvae are gray to olive with black smudges and a white belly.

Distribution:

Its Virginia distribution is nearly all of the Coastal Plain, but a remnant population of an ancient lineage occurs in Augusta County. In Virginia, they inhabit hardwood and mixed hardwood-pine forests and use ephemeral wetlands for reproduction.

The eastern tiger salamander is found along the coastline and in one region of inner Virginia

Did You Know?

This is the only species of mole salamander that creates its own burrow.

Role in the Web of Life

Movement to ponds occurs during cold winter rains. Females lay 5–122 eggs in loose gelatinous clusters attached to vegetation stems in water. Larvae consume invertebrates and larvae of other salamanders. Adults eat worms, other invertebrates, and small rodents. Larvae are eaten by larvae of predaceous insects. Watersnakes and wading birds take adults.

Conservation

State Endangered, Tier II Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Virginia’s Wildlife Action Plan.

Last updated: July 18, 2024

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Species Profile Database serves as a repository of information for Virginia’s fish and wildlife species. The database is managed and curated by the Wildlife Information and Environmental Services (WIES) program. Species profile data, distribution information, and photography is generated by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, State and Federal agencies, Collection Permittees, and other trusted partners. This product is not suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying use. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources does not accept responsibility for any missing data, inaccuracies, or other errors which may exist. In accordance with the terms of service for this product, you agree to this disclaimer.