Marbled Salamander Illinois Salamanders

As with many ambystomatids the marbled salamander is a relatively stocky species.

Marbled salamander illinois salamanders.

Their habitats are damp woodlands forests and places with soft and wet soil. Its body is stout. The marbled salamander is one of the smaller ambystomatid mole salamander species found in north carolina with adults only reaching lengths between 3 4 inches. Larval salamanders and the adults of the lesser siren and mudpuppy have external gills.

Eight illinois species of salamanders family plethodontidae lack lungs and rely entirely on the skin and mouth lining for gas exchange. They may be mauled by domestic pets mishandled by curious children and adults fall into window wells become trapped in or around buildings or find their way into crawl spaces and sump pump pits. The crossbars are gray in females and white or silver in males. The prairie research institute s illinois natural history survey provides a species distribution map and more natural history information.

Marbled salamanders are found in the eastern united states from southern new england to northern florida and west to illinois and texas. Plethodontidae lungless salamanders have nasolabial grooves. There are approximately 650 species of salamander in the world 20 of which are found in illinois. They have been found as far north as new hampshire though only two sightings have been reported there.

Disjunct populations are found near the southern perimeters of lakes erie and michigan as well as in southwestern missouri and along the northern border between ohio and indiana. Marbled salamander ambystoma opacum photos by j d. It has bands or crossbars along the back a black body and a plain black belly. Historical versus current distribution marbled salamanders ambystoma opacum range throughout much of the eastern united states from eastern texas and oklahoma northeast through illinois and indiana to southern new hampshire and central massachusetts and south to north florida.

Other skin glands release chemicals that coordinate reproductive behavior. The marbled salamander averages about three and one half to four and one half inches in length. Marbled salamanders grow to about 3 5 4 25 in 9 10 7 cm in size and are. Eastern tiger salamander salamanders run across many hazardous in illinois human dominated landscape.

Check out the idnr s wild about illinois salamanders website to learn about the marbled salamander.