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Michigan Salamanders

Blue Spotted Salamander  

Four-Toed Salamander

Mudpuppy  

Spotted Salamander  

Eastern Newt  

Marbled Salamander  

Red-Backed Salamander  

Western Lesser Siren  

Eastern Tiger Salamander  

Small-Mouthed Salamander  

   SALAMANDER FEATURES & FACTS:

SPECIES:

BLUE SPOTTED SALAMANDER
Ambystoma laterale

Bluespot.JPG (6601 bytes)

Size:3.5 to 5.5"
Range:  throughout Michigan
Habitat:damp woodlands;  deciduous hardwood forests;   swamps;  ponds;  underneath forest debris
Lifestyle: breeding = March to early April;  larvae leave the water in 2 to 3 months, but they do not reach breeding age for 2 years.

EASTERN NEWT (red spotted & central)
Notophthalmus viridescens (viridescens & louisianensis)

Eastnewt.JPG (4719 bytes)

Size:.5 to 5.5"
Range:red spotted = southeastern lower peninsula;  central newt = throughout Michigan
Habitat:ponds;  marshes;  shallow lakes;  areas of aquatic plant life;  under debris
Lifestyle:active throughout the year - no hibernation;   the 2 subspecies are found to interbreed;  breeding = March to June;  3 life stages = aquatic larval, intermediate terrestrial eft, and aquatic adult (an adult can live on land if the aquatic habitat dries)

 

EASTERN TIGER SALAMANDER
Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum

Tigersal.JPG (8107 bytes)

Size:7 to 9"
Range:in the lower peninsula = southern area, northern central area;  in upper peninsula = Alger County
Habitat:woodlands;  fields;  marshes;  farms;   suburbs;  near breeding ponds;  in burrows
Lifestyle:breeding March to April;  metamorphosis = 2 to 3 months

FOUR-TOED SALAMANDER
Hemidactylium scutatum

Fourtoed.JPG (6028 bytes)

Size:2 to 4"
Range:throughout Michigan
Habitat:damp woodlands;  ponds;  in areas of tamarack, moss, and sphagnum;  swamps;  in forest debris
Lifestyle:egg laying = spring;  metamorphosis = 2.5 months;   breeding age is 3 years

 

MARBLED SALAMANDER
Ambystoma opacum

!marbles.JPG (6831 bytes)

Size:3.5 to 5"
Range:Berrien, Van Buren, Allegan Counties
Habitat:damp woodlands;  in burrows;  under rocks or forest debris
Lifestyle:breeding = fall;  metamorphosis = the following   late spring - early summer

MUDPUPPY
Necturus maculosus maculosus

Mudpuppy.JPG (3562 bytes)

 

Size:8 to 15"
Range:throughout Michigan
Habitat:rivers;  lakes;  bays;  shallow waters under debris
Lifestyle:active throughout the year - no hibernation;  nocturnal;   mating = October to November;  egg laying = spring.

 

RED-BACKED SALAMANDER
Plethodon cinereus

Redback.JPG (7720 bytes)

Size:2.25 to 5"
Range:throughout Michigan
Habitat:damp woodlands;  in forest debris
Lifestyle:breeding = fall;  egg laying = June;  hatching = August;  no aquatic larval stage

SMALL-MOUTHED SALAMANDER
Ambystoma texanum

!smallmo.JPG (6384 bytes)

Size:4.5 to 7"
Range:southeastern area of the lower peninsula
Habitat:damp hardwood forest;  vernal ponds;  in burrows;   underneath forest debris
Lifestyle:breeding = late winter - early spring;  metamorphosis = 2 to 3 months

 

SPOTTED SALAMANDER
Ambystoma maculatum

!spotsal.JPG (5458 bytes)

Size:5 to 9.75"
Range:throughout Michigan
Habitat:damp woodlands;   vernal ponds;  adults = underground except when breeding
Lifestyle:breeding = March to early April;  individuals tend to always use the same pond for breeding each year;   metamorphosis = 2 to 4 months
For more info, CLICK HERE

WESTERN LESSER SIREN
Siren intermedia nettingi

Siren.JPG (3353 bytes)

Size:7 to 16"
Range:Allegan County & Van Buren County  (may have been introduced by humans)
Habitat:shallow waters;  near aquatic plant life;  ponds;   lakes;  ditches;  streams;  underneath debris at the bottom of the water
Lifestyle:nocturnal;  eggs are laid in the spring;  makes clicking, whistling, and yelping sounds.


Michigan Reptiles and Amphibians

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