Marbled Salamander Defense

This and many other amphibians require small fishless woodland.

Marbled salamander defense.

The latin word opacum means shaded dark obscure or dim and refers to the adult dorsal color pattern. Marbled salamanders and the department of defense the marbled salamander ambystoma opacum is one of the more commonly found mole salamanders on military installations. Both males and females typically migrate to the area surrounding a dry vernal pool in september and october. The body is black with light bands of varying widths running across the back.

This secretive salamander spends most of its time under rocks logs or forest debris preferring forested areas. The marbled salamander is one of many amphibians found in the bottomland hardwood forests of mississippi. Hind limb usually possess 5 toes. 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.

Muscular tail used for swimming. Adults can grow to about 11 cm 4 in small compared to other members of its genus. The marbled salamander varies in length from 9 10 7 cm 3 5 4 2 in. The diet of adult marbled salamanders includes earthworms insects crickets ants snails and slugs.

Salamander larvae feed on plankton and aquatic insects. How to setup a simple but effective terrarium for a marbled salamander or any salamander that requires cool temperatures and moist conditions. The bands of females tend to be gray while those of males are more white. The deep spaces between the ribs for blood vessels and nerves.

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. Marbled salamanders are late summer to early fall breeders. They can be identified by their black dark brown body including its venter with light white silvery crossbands on the dorsum. Fore limb usually possess 4 toes.

Defense mechanisms like all salamanders the marbled salamander has the ability to remove its tail with an ability called autotomy. It may also occur in open sandy woods and on rocky dry hillsides. Skin glands on neck back and shoulder which secretes neurotoxin for defense mechanism. A small stout bodied salamander this species is easily identified by its distinct black and white patterning across its entire body.

Dorsal or back side of the salamander. The marbled salamander is a stocky boldly banded salamander. Like most of the mole salamanders it is secretive spending most of its life under logs or in burrows. This species is sexually dimorphic males tend to have white crossbands and females tend to have gray silvery crossbands.