Barred tiger salamander
| Barred tiger salamander | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Ambystomatidae |
| Genus: | Ambystoma |
| Species: | A. mavortium |
| Binomial name | |
| Ambystoma mavortium Baird, 1850 |
|
The barred tiger salamander or western tiger salamander, Ambystoma mavortium, is a species of mole salamander found from southwestern Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, south through the western United States to Texas and northern Mexico.
Contents |
Description [edit]
The barred tiger salamander typically grows from 6.0 to 8.5 inches, but it can grow to 12 in (30 cm) long at the most. Overall, the body is dark brown to black with yellow bars and spots giving it the "tiger-stripe" look.
Behavior [edit]
Primarily nocturnal, barred tiger salamanders are opportunistic feeders, and will often eat anything they can catch, including various insects, slugs, and earthworms. They are primarily terrestrial as adults, but their juvenile larval stage is entirely aquatic, having external gills.
Subspecies [edit]
The six recognized subspecies of A. mavortium are:
- Gray barred tiger salamander, A. m. diaboli (Dunn, 1940)
- Barred tiger salamander, A. m. mavortium (Baird, 1850)
- Blotched tiger salamander, A. m. melanostictum (Baird, 1860)
- Arizona tiger salamander, A. m. nebulosum (Hallowell, 1853)
- Sonoran tiger salamander, A. m. stebbinsi (Lowe, 1954)
- Mexican coco salamander, A. m. mexicala (Cable, 2011)
In captivity [edit]
Tiger salamanders are frequently kept in captivity; they mostly hide and ambush their prey. Adults are illegal to sell in most parts of the USA. Their large size allows for ease of feeding, and their hardy nature make them excellent captives. Their larval stage is often sold as fishing bait, marketed as mud puppies or water dogs.
Symbolism [edit]
The tiger salamander is the state amphibian of Kansas. The second grade class of 1993 of OK Elementary in Wichita, KS, petitioned the governor and the initial idea for a state amphibian was presented to their teacher by Timothy Boyd and Kristofer Voorhees. It is also the state amphibian of Colorado after being recognized by the Colorado legislature on March 16, 2012.
References [edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Barred tiger salamander |
 |
Wikispecies has information related to: Barred tiger salamander |
- Caudata Culture: Tiger Salamanders
- Amphibian Species of the World: Ambystoma mavortium
- "Ambystoma mavortium". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
- AmphibiaWeb: Ambystoma mavortium
External links [edit]
.jpg){kind=small} |
This salamander article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
