Marbled Salamander Defense

A small stout bodied salamander this species is easily identified by its distinct black and white patterning across its entire body.

Marbled salamander defense.

They can be identified by their black dark brown body including its venter with light white silvery crossbands on the dorsum. Marbled salamanders are late summer to early fall breeders. It may also occur in open sandy woods and on rocky dry hillsides. The marbled salamander is a stocky boldly banded salamander.

The diet of adult marbled salamanders includes earthworms insects crickets ants snails and slugs. Fore limb usually possess 4 toes. The bands of females tend to be gray while those of males are more white. Salamander larvae feed on plankton and aquatic insects.

The tail of the salamander has the ability to be removed without hurting the salamander itself well the tail is removed and wriggles about in front of a predator the salamander can run away and seek a place to. Dorsal or back side of the salamander. Both males and females typically migrate to the area surrounding a dry vernal pool in september and october. Orifice past the hind legs of a salamander costal grooves.

The deep spaces between the ribs for blood vessels and nerves. Muscular tail used for swimming. This species is sexually dimorphic males tend to have white crossbands and females tend to have gray silvery crossbands. Marbled salamanders grow to about 3 5 4 25 in 9 10 7 cm in size and are stout bodied and chubby in appearance.

Hind limb usually possess 5 toes. Marbled salamanders and the department of defense the marbled salamander ambystoma opacum is one of the more commonly found mole salamanders on military installations. Marbled salamanders spend most of their lives in self excavated burrows or those dug by small mammals and are most commonly found in deciduous or mixed pine forests on sandy soil. The body is black with light bands of varying widths running across the back.

Skin glands on neck back and shoulder which secretes neurotoxin for defense mechanism. Like most of the mole salamanders it is secretive spending most of its life under logs or in burrows. Defense mechanisms like all salamanders the marbled salamander has the ability to remove its tail with an ability called autotomy. This secretive salamander spends most of its time under rocks logs or forest debris preferring forested areas.

The marbled salamander varies in length from 9 10 7 cm 3 5 4 2 in. This and many other amphibians require small fishless woodland. Marbled salamander in boone county. The marbled salamander is one of many amphibians found in the bottomland hardwood forests of mississippi.