Ambystoma mavortium

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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 (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.

Contents 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. Its skin is moist and 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. But 6-10 inches is more common mouth to tail.

[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. Barred Tiger Salamanders are legal to sell and are common in pet shops in the mid to southwest 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.

[edit] Trivia

The Barred Tiger Salamander is the State Amphibian of Kansas.

[edit] References

• Caudata Culture: Tiger Salamanders
• Amphibian Species of the World: Ambystoma mavortium
• Ambystoma mavortium (TSN 668193). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 10 July 2006.
• AmphibiaWeb: Ambystoma mavortium