Amphibians · Caudata · Ambystomatidae

Spotted Salamander

Ambystoma maculatum

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The spotted salamander is a large black ambystomatid with two rows of yellow spots, very common in the woodlands of eastern North America even though it spends almost the whole year underground. Its embryos harbour a symbiotic alga inside their own cells, the only known case of intracellular symbiosis in a vertebrate.

Weight

13 g on average

Size

15 cm – 25 cm

Lifespan

32 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestFreshwaterInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Temperate forest Freshwater

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Fun facts

Its embryos contain algae inside their own cells: it is the only known case of intracellular symbiosis between an alga and a vertebrate. The alga produces oxygen for the embryo and receives nitrogen from its waste in return.
Every spring, on the first warm, rainy night, thousands of adults emerge at once and migrate to the same pool where they were born, a spectacle known in North America as the big night.
It depends on temporary pools that dry out every summer: that drying kills off the fish, and without fish the larvae survive. A permanent pond is no use to it.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (amphibian)
Habitat & environment: Damp deciduous woodland with temporary pools in eastern North America
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: Larval development in temporary woodland pools
Litter / clutch size: 125

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambystoma_maculatum