Habitat

Spotted salamanders have very distinct habitats. They are commonly found in the lowland forests near flood plains, but are also found in mixed woodlands, upland forests and mountainous regions where moist soil conditions are found. They avoid clear cut forests and areas subject to flooding. Nearly all of their time is spent underground in burrows of other animals, under boards, rotted logs, or in other dark confined spaces on or in the ground. They are occasionally found above ground on rainy or moist nights or during the rainy periods of spring and fall when they migrate to and from their hibernation sites. Like many amphibians, the adult spotted salamanders spend most of their time on land, traveling to pools, swamps or slow moving streams to breed and lay eggs.

The spotted salamander travels to and prefers swamps, ponds, or slow moving streams for breeding. The warm rains and thawing ground of March and early April spur the spotted salamander to their breeding ponds. It is in these ponds that the salamanders lay eggs and the larvae hatch. Once hatched, the larvae will inhabit the ponds, staying mainly on the bottom and edges where predation is easier to avoid, for the next several months until they mature into adults.

                                                   

The spotted salamander range includes eastern Ontario to Nova Scotia in Canada and south to the Carolinas and Texas in the United States.

                                              

Check out the spotted salamander's adaptations to the environment!

 

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