Despite being fairly large and having an extremely broad range, the spotted
salamander is actually pretty hard to, well, spot.
They can reach 9 inches (23 centimeters) in length and are prevalent in mature
deciduous forests from eastern Canada throughout the eastern and mid-western United
States. But these secretive salamanders spend almost their entire lives hiding under rocks
or logs or in the burrows of other forest animals.
They will populate upland forests and mountainous regions, but are most common
in moist, low-lying forests near floodplains.
They emerge from their subterranean hiding spots only at night to feed and during
spring mating. They will actually travel long distances over land after a heavy rain to
mate and lay their eggs in vernal pools and ponds.
Visually striking, these stout salamanders are bluish-black with two irregular rows
of yellow or orange spots extending from head to tail. Like many other salamanders, they
secrete a noxious, milky toxin from glands on their backs and tails to dissuade predators.
Their diet includes insects, worms, slugs, spiders, and millipedes.
Spotted salamanders' numbers are generally stable throughout their range, but they
are very sensitive to changes in their ecology, and rising water acidity in certain habitats
is negatively affecting their population. The pet trade and habitat loss also take a toll.
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