Figure 1. Tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum. Considerable variation in color pattern occurs in this species.

Identification

Salamanders are smooth-skinned amphibians with no skin covering such as scales, hair, or feathers. They do not have claws. Adult salamanders can be distinguished from frogs and toads by the presence of a tail and by the nearly equal size of their front and hind limbs. Most salamanders are moist or slimy to the touch, which is a good way to distinguish them from lizards, which are dry. The waterdog, which is completely aquatic (water living), can be recognized by its featherlike external gills.

Range

There are several dozen kinds of salamanders found in the United States, but most occur only in parts of one or several states. Because salamanders are so dependent on specific habitat conditions, their movements are limited and home ranges are usually very small.

Habitat

Salamanders depend on water and moisture for their existence. Because they do not have a skin covering, they dehydrate rapidly in dry environments. The larvae spend the first part of their lives in water. After the larval form changes to the adult form, most salamanders leave the water and live in moist areas on land. They can usually be found under logs, under rocks, near streams, and in other areas where the ground is moist and shaded from the sun.

Food Habits

All salamanders are predators. They commonly eat insects, slugs, earthworms, and other invertebrates. Some eat leeches, tiny mollusks, crustaceans, and frogs’ eggs. As aquatic larvae, they typically eat aquatic invertebrates, but some may even be cannibalistic.

Behavior

Salamanders generally are active when there is no sunshine, usually at night or on cloudy, rainy days. On sunny days they generally hide in moist areas, such as under stones and logs. Since salamanders are mostly nocturnal (active at night), they are seldom seen by people.

Damage

Salamanders do not cause damage to people or property. Occasionally, they frighten people who are not familiar with them. None have a poisonous bite.

Legal Status

Salamanders are protected in most states, as are other nongame animals. In some areas, they may be legally taken to use as bait for fishing, but in most areas they are completely protected. Some salamanders are on state lists of threatened and endangered species.

Economics of Damage and Control

As mentioned earlier, salamanders are completely harmless. They do not have a poisonous bite and cause no hazard to people, except perhaps frightening them. They cause no damage to personal property. Therefore, expense toward control of salamanders is not justified. Most methods required to remove salamanders are inexpensive and are consistent with good grooming of the yard and home environment.

Acknowledgments

Figure 1 by Emily Oseas Routman.

For Additional Information

Barker, W. 1964. Familiar reptiles and amphibians of America. Harper & Row. New York. 220 pp.

Cochran, D. M. 1961. Living amphibians of the world. Doubleday. New York. 199 pp.

Conant, R. 1975. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians of eastern and central North America, 2d ed. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 429 pp.

Goin, C. J., and O. B. Goin. 1962. Introduction to herpetology. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco. 341 pp.

Huheey, J. E., and A. Stupka. 1967. Amphibians and reptiles of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Univ. Tennessee Press. Knoxville. 98 pp.

Schlauch, F. C. 1976. City snakes, suburban salamanders. Nat. Hist. 85:46-53.

Editors

Scott E. Hygnstrom

Robert M. Timm

Gary E. Larson