Ambystoma mavortium

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iBarred 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 (Ambystoma mavortium) is a species of salamander found from southwestern Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, south through the western United States to Texas, and northern Mexico.

1 Description
2 Behavior
3 Subspecies
4 In captivity
5 Trivia
6 References

[edit] Description

The Barred Tiger Salamander is a large species, with a broad head and a bulky body. It is typically dark brown to olive green, or black in color, with large yellow blotches. They are capable of growing to 14 inches (35 cm) in length.

[edit] Behavior

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.

[edit] Subspecies

There are five recognized subspecies of A. mavortium:

Gray Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortium diaboli (Dunn, 1940)
Barred Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortium mavortium (Baird, 1850)
Blotched Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum (Baird, 1860)
Arizona Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum (Hallowell, 1853)
Sonoran Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi (Lowe, 1954)

[edit] In captivity

Tiger Salamanders are frequently kept in captivity. 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.