 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
|
Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) Description: Gray-brown to blue-black. Two irregular rows of yellow spots on each side. Undersides are lighter, typically slate gray. Adults are six to eight inches long. Distribution and Status: Spotted salamanders occur throughout New England, the Great Lake States, the southeastern United States (except Florida), and Atlantic Canada. In Maine, the species has been reported most frequently in central Maine. Terrestrial Habitat and Hibernation: Spotted salamanders are found in deciduous, mixed, and softwood forests, and on some occasions in open fields. The majority of the time is spent below ground, commonly in shrew or other small animal burrows. They seek refuge under leaf-litter and coarse woody debris. Adults feed on forest-floor invertebrates including earthworms, snails, spiders, and insects. Home ranges vary from as little as one square meter up to 40 square meters. Spotted salamanders hibernate in upland forests most commonly below ground in burrows created by small mammals or tree roots. Breeding Pool: Spotted salamanders preferentially breed in temporary to semi-permanent vernal pools free of fish. They may also breed in beaver flowages, lakeshores, and human-made pools (roadside ditches, borrow pits, skidder ruts). The artificial pools, that tend to be more numerous in many areas, are also usually much less suitable for the survival of larvae. Pools used exclusively by spotted salamanders tend to be warmer, less murky, and in more open sites that those used by blue-spotted salamanders. Egg Masses: Number of eggs per mass is usually between 100 and 150. Masses with fewer or more eggs do occur. They are normally attached to twigs or plant stems several inches below the surface of the water. The color of the jelly casing varies from clear to milky white, and is sometimes green from algae. The consistency of the gelatinous envelope surrounding the entire egg mass is like jello. Individual eggs are dark brown or gray above and lighter below. Larvae: Dull greenish, chin and throat without markings, head broad and blunt, wider than body. |
|
||||
|
|||||
