Scientific name
Arizona Tiger Salamander: Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum
Utah Tiger Salamander: Ambystoma tigrinium utahensis
Identification
- Adults can grow up to 13.6 inches (34.5cm) long. They are stocky with a broad head, small beady eyes, and a rounded snout.Both species have varying combinations of light and dark dorsal spots, giving them the name tiger salamander.
- Larvae will have three gills on each side of their head. Early in development they lack legs.
Habitat
- Underground burrows in the coniferous forests on the rims of the Grand Canyon.
- Usually lives near the still or sluggish water of ponds, rain pools, and cattle tanks.
Behavior
- Most commonly seen during breeding season in mid-winter to late spring, when they reproduce in pools and ponds.
- Tiger salamanders are considered “mole salamanders,” because they spend the majority of the time in their burrows.
- Eat a wide variety of surface and subterranean invertebrates. Adults will also eat larger prey, including tadpoles, lizards, small snakes, and mice.
