There are various species breathing on the planet. While lungs and nose are considered the main respiratory organs, there are thick-bodied salamanders that breathe through their skin. An eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum, is a mole salamander that breathes through its skin.The eastern tiger salamanders have varied colors and patterns throughout their body. Their expansive range varies from yellow to olive green colored skin with stripes or splotches. They are the largest salamanders recorded in North America. The populations of eastern tiger salamander range from southeastern Alaska to the southern region of Labrador, throughout the United States of America. While metamorphosed adult tiger salamanders inhabit the terrestrial habitat, they migrate to breeding ponds towards the end of winter or early spring. Also, eastern tiger salamander larvae live in water bodies such as ponds including vernal pools.The eastern tiger salamanders are amphibians. Out of the 50-1,000 eggs that are laid in ponds, some larvae grow into metamorphosed adults living on terrestrial habitats, while the rest remain in their larval state surviving the aquatic ecosystem.If the uniqueness of the eastern tiger salamander makes you interested to read more about similar species, you can read about the Chinese giant salamander and the spring salamander.
Fun Eastern Tiger Salamander Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh? 4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they? 6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
Eastern Tiger Salamander Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is an eastern tiger salamander?Eastern tiger salamanders are the largest mole salamanders found in North America. They are subspecies of tiger salamanders.What class of animal does an eastern tiger salamander belong to?The eastern tiger salamanders belong to the order Urodela and the family Ambystomatidae. These are amphibians inhabiting terrestrial habitats when they mature and surviving in aquatic surroundings in their larval stage.How many eastern tiger salamanders are there in the world?While the population of eastern tiger salamanders is listed as Least Concern under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the exact number of species is not calculated. It is still a conundrum why and how the eastern tiger salamander is listed as Endangered in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. There are considerable variations in colors and patterns recorded in the eastern tiger salamanders, but they are not its subspecies.Where does an eastern tiger salamander live?The eastern tiger salamanders live in the states of North America. They range throughout the United States of America going down to the southern region of the Mexican Plateau.What is an eastern tiger salamander’s habitat?While eastern adult tiger salamanders live on terrestrial grounds and breed in pools, the eggs and laid in water bodies and larvae inhabit the ponds such as vernal pools. The eastern tiger salamander habitat is mainly the wetlands and lives in burrows underground.Who do eastern tiger salamanders live with?The eastern tiger salamander is a gregarious species and this speculated to live with a variety of related species. Initially, California tiger salamander, barred tiger salamander, plateau tiger salamander, and eastern tiger salamander were considered as the same subspecies of tiger salamanders as they were recorded to live together.How long does an eastern tiger salamander live?While the eastern tiger salamanders are reported to live up to 16 years in the wild. The longest living salamander from the family, an olm, is recorded to live up to 100 years in small caves.How do they reproduce?The eastern tiger salamanders migrate to breeding ponds towards the end of winter or the beginning of spring as they are speculated to be loyal to their birthplace, wherein males are recorded to move earlier than the females. The males are recorded to have swollen vent areas in the breeding season. The species mate at night, while the eggs are laid post 24-48 hours of insemination. The eggs hatch up in 28 days into salamander larvae. The larvae metamorphose into an adult in the aquatic ecosystem.What is their conservation status?The species of eastern tiger salamander is listed as Least Concern under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. While the population is stable, it is Endangered in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.Eastern Tiger Salamander Fun FactsWhat do eastern tiger salamanders look like?An eastern tiger salamander is a thick-bodied salamander found with variations in its color and pattern belonging to the same species. It has dark-colored skin varying from shades of yellow, green to brown. Usually, the belly is yellow or olive green in color. Its head is large with a large snout. The body is observed to have various patterns formed with irregular spots and stripes.The larva often has either a yellowish-green or olive-green plumage with a white underside. Its body comprises dark blotches or stripes.How cute are they?With slender bodies and snouted heads, the eastern tiger salamanders are often considered cute. The irregular patterns formed with spots and stripes further make the species quite attractive, too.How do they communicate?Unlike the fire salamander, other salamanders such as tree salamanders do not vocalize. While the communication mechanism of the eastern tiger salamander is poorly studied, the tree salamander uses touch and chemicals to communicate with one another.How big is an eastern tiger salamander?The eastern tiger salamander size varies from 6-8 in (15-20 cm). The size of the salamander also varies in its color and pattern. It is almost seven times the length of a Chinese giant salamander.How fast can an eastern tiger salamander move?The exact speed of the eastern tiger salamander remains undeciphered, while the tiger salamander is recorded to move at the speed of 10 mph (16 kph).How much does an eastern tiger salamander weigh?An eastern tiger salamander weighs up to 4.4 oz (124.7 g).What are the male and female names of the species?There are no sex-specific names assigned to the species of the eastern tiger salamander.What would you call a baby eastern tiger salamander?An eastern tiger salamander baby does not have any distinctive scientific name and is called eft.What do they eat?An eastern tiger salamander is a carnivore. It feeds on snails, worms, slugs, insects, and frogs.Are they poisonous?Like other amphibians, an eastern tiger salamander is poisonous, but unlike the poison frog, it is not dangerous. The poison in the tiger salamander is used to shoo away its prey with its foul smell.Would they make a good pet?An eastern tiger salamander does not make a good pet as it is a wild species of animal and it mostly lives underground in its burrow.Did you know…Unlike other species of animals that breathe through the lungs and nose, the eastern tiger salamander has porous skin as its breathing organ.The eastern tiger salamander is documented to be the state amphibian of Illinois.While the average lifespan of the eastern tiger salamander is recorded to range up to 16 years in the wild, it is recorded to live as long as 25 years in captivity.The species of tiger salamander vary in color, pattern, and appearance despite belonging to the same group of species.The tiger salamanders transmit the diseases such as amphibian chytrid fungus, which is a prominent threat to the species of frogs.While a tiger salamander is unlikely to kill humans, it is advised to handle it with care. It is known to secret a poison that harms its predators, such as badgers, bobcats, owls, and snakes, and does not affect humans.Different types of the tiger salamanderThe subspecies of tiger salamander comprise the California tiger salamander, the plateau tiger salamander, the eastern salamander, and the western or barred salamander. Initially, the subspecies were considered to belong to the same group of species.Do tiger salamanders have teeth?While a tiger salamander may appear to be toothless, it is reported to have small teeth like many species of salamanders. Unlike the frogs, the salamander is speculated to have teeth from its larval stage. The salamanders, being carnivores, further emphasizes the fact of the species having teeth. The tiger salamanders are also documented to bite various species and prey on many smaller species.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other amphibians from our spotted salamander facts and bullfrog facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable eastern tiger salamander coloring pages.
What type of animal is an eastern tiger salamander?
Eastern tiger salamanders are the largest mole salamanders found in North America. They are subspecies of tiger salamanders.
Fun Eastern Tiger Salamander Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh? 4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they? 6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
Fun Eastern Tiger Salamander Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh? 4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they? 6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
Fun Eastern Tiger Salamander Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh? 4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they? 6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
Fun Eastern Tiger Salamander Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh? 4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they? 6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
What do they prey on? Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh? 4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they? 6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
What do they prey on? Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh? 4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they? 6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type Scales
What were their main threats? Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
What do they prey on?
Snails, worms, and insects
What do they eat?
Carnivore
Average litter size?
50-1,000 eggs
How much do they weigh?
4.4 oz (125 g)
How long are they?
6-8 in (15-20 cm)
How tall are they?
N/A
What do they look like?
Brown, yellow, green, and black
Skin Type
Scales
What were their main threats?
Habitat Destruction
What is their conservation status?
Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
Where you’ll find them?
Wetlands – Especially Vernal Pools
Locations
North America
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ambystoma
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Ambystoma
Class Amphibia
Family Ambystomatidae
