Marbled Salamander Breeds

Most michigan salamanders begin breeding in the spring months with a few exceptions.

Marbled salamander breeds.

September is the peak breeding period in massachusetts for one of its most attractive yet unorthodox amphibian species the marbled salamander ambystoma opacum during rainy foggy or very humid nights adults emerge from underground burrows in the forest and migrate overland to swamps and vernal pools to breed and deposit eggs. These include the marbled salamander and the mudpuppy which breed in the fall the four toed salamander that breeds in late summer and fall and the red backed salamander which breeds in the fall through winter and early spring in some places. The marbled salamander varies in length from 9 10 7 cm 3 5 4 2 in. The bands of females tend to be gray while those of males are more white.

My friend chance and i decided to hike a new trail today and we found a vernal pool with 15 marbled salamanders many with eggs. Marbled salamanders breed in autumn unlike most other mole salamanders which breed in winter and migrate to wetlands during before a good rain to court and mate. We were amazed to find so ma. Petranka 1998 unlike most other mole salamanders this species does not breed in water.

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. Females will lay about 30 100 eggs in a depression on land usually beneath a log or leaf litter. The marbled salamander ambystoma opacum is a species of mole salamander found in the eastern united states. The larger larval marbled salamanders feed on spotted salamander larvae and wood frog tadpoles as well as zooplankton.

The marbled salamander breeds from september to october in the northern part of its range and from october to december in the southern part of its range. Unlike other mole salamanders which breed underwater during the spring the marbled salamander has a very unusual reproductive strategy. The marbled salamander mates and lays its eggs on land. This is opposite from other mole salamanders that breed during early spring.

The female stays with her developing eggs until rain fills the wetland and triggers. The marbled salamander is a stocky boldly banded salamander. Adults can grow to about 11 cm 4 in small compared to other members of its genus. These salamanders are occasionally can be found around dry hillsides but never far from a moist environment.

Marbled salamanders emerge from their underground homes in early fall to migrate to their breeding grounds.