Common Name:
Jefferson Salamander
Scientific Name:
Ambystoma jeffersonianum
Unique Qualities:
Adults are 11-18cm and range from brown to blue-grey with a paler underside. Small bluish spots fleck the limbs and lower sides. Extremely long toes and a relatively pointed snout set the Jefferson salamander apart from other salamanders. They also have well developed lungs, unlike most other salamanders.
Can be Seen:
The Jefferson salamander is found in southwestern Ontario. Other populations extend south into the United States.
Likes to Hang Out:
The salamander lives in deciduous forests, under debris near swamps and ponds. It stays in a burrow during the day and is active at night. It lays eggs in small masses attached to grasses, twigs, and other support structures in the water.
Likes to Eat:
Its diet includes beetles, centipedes, slugs, worms, and other invertebrates.
Status:
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists the Jefferson salamander as threatened. Its habitat is being taken over as cities expand into its breeding grounds and forest territory.
