Marbled Salamander

Ambystoma opacum

The Marbled Salamander is a unique salamander with beautiful marbled patterns. They are shy and enjoy hiding under rocks!

Habitat: Wooded areas and wetlands

Appearance

The Marbled Salamander has a stout body with striking black or dark gray skin. It is adorned with bold, silvery-white or light gray crossbands and blotches, making it stand out from uniformly colored salamanders. Males may have brighter patterns during breeding season.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAmphibiaOrderCaudataFamilyAmbystomatidaeGenusAmbystoma

Marbled Salamander

Interesting facts

Baby Marbled Salamanders are fierce predators from the moment they hatch in the water!

They are one of the only salamanders in their family to breed in the cool fall season!

They spend most of their adult life hidden underground or under logs, away from view!

This salamander is a great mom, guarding her eggs until the pond fills with rain!

Special abilities

Marbled Salamander can lay eggs on dry land because of their special strategy that helps them hatch first when rains arrive.

Marbled Salamander can regrow lost tails and limbs because of their amazing regenerative cells that help them recover from injuries.

Marbled Salamander has special skin secretions that help them deter predators by tasting bad or mildly irritating.

Measurements & details

Length: 10-13 cm
Weight: 0.005-0.02 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 0.1 km/h
Clutch Size: 50-200
Metamorphosis: 90-270 days

Diet & Feeding

These salamanders are insectivores, munching on small invertebrates they find on land or in water.

Age differences: Larvae eat aquatic invertebrates; adults eat terrestrial and aquatic prey.

Primary Foods

Earthworms
Slugs
Insects
Spiders
Small Crustaceans
Larvae of other amphibians

Foraging Method

Ambush

Ecological connections

hunts

Spotted Salamander

Ambystoma maculatum

Marbled larvae often eat smaller larvae of this species.

eaten by

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

A common predator of adult and juvenile salamanders.

hunts

Eastern Newt

Notophthalmus viridescens

Marbled larvae often prey on the larvae of this newt.

shelters

Red Maple

Acer rubrum

Lives in forests with this tree, finding shelter under leaf litter.

Traits

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Camouflaged

Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Ancient Lineage

This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.

Forest

Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

Longevous

This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.