Jefferson Salamander
Ambystoma jeffersonium
Conservation Status:
Photographed by stevejr
Description
Jefferson salamanders can grow from four to seven inches long. They are dark in color, either gray or brown, and have light speckling on their legs, tail, and lower half of the body. Their underside is lighter than their back. They have wide heads and slender bodies, along with lengthy toes.
Habitat
This species is found in moist deciduous forests with lots of hiding
places under stones, logs, and leaf litter. They might also be found on rocky slopes or in caves.
Behavior
Jefferson salamanders are nocturnal, generally only being seen during daytime in the mating season. They spend most of their time in burrows, especially in dry conditions or when hibernating over the winter. They eat invertebrates, and their larvae eat
insects and worms. When there are food shortages, larvae may turn cannibalistic. This species thrashes its tail around when threatened and releases toxins. They breed in March and April, migrating to vernal pools on rainy nights. Sometimes they may travel hundreds of yards during this migration. Females lay five to sixty eggs that are attached to submerged vegetation at the edge of the vernal pool. They are known to hybridize with blue-spotted salamanders, resulting in a wide range of genes and appearances.
Range
Present
Jefferson Salamander
Photographed by stevejr
Often Confused with
Blue-Spotted Salamander
Photographed by Cody Limber
Telling these two species apart is difficult due to the amount of hybridization between them. Hybrids may obtain characteristics from both species, providing identification to be difficult without genetic testing. Blue-spotted salamanders generally have more spots that are larger, which have a light blue color versus the more silver hued ones of the Jefferson salamander. Blue-spotted salamanders also tend to have heads that are more narrow, as well as shorter legs. Jefferson salamanders are lighter in color and larger.
Jefferson Salamander
Photographed by stevejr
Often Confused with
Northern Slimy Salamander
Photo needed! Email ajones7428@gmail.com
Jefferson salamanders and slimy salamanders both have dark coloration with lighter spots. Jefferson salamanders are usually lighter in color, with slimy salamanders being a pure black. Jefferson salamanders also have laterally flattened tails, and small light blue speckling that is generally confined to their legs, tail, and belly. Slimy salamanders have cylindrical tails and their spots are white, generally covering most, if not all parts of their bodies.