What kind of salamander is this??

[Kettlee26]

Wondering if anyone can tell me what kind of salamander I have?

 

[Greatwtehunter]

I'm on the fence with this one. I would go with either Ambystoma tigrinum or a reduced patterned Ambystoma maculatum. There's just something different about the head shape in the picture.

 

[FrogEyes]

I'm leaning towards a tiger, probably an eastern tiger, based on bits of pattern I can make out in the dark areas. If you know where it came from, it would help.

 

[Shadow]

I'm leaning towards a tiger, probably an eastern tiger, based on bits of pattern I can make out in the dark areas. If you know where it came from, it would help.

Same, but the lack of spots is confusing. Is this common for Eastern's to have not that many spots?

 

[Greatwtehunter]

If you know where it came from, it would help.

From talking in chat, it came from Indiana. I can't be anymore specific than that though.

Same, but the lack of spots is confusing. Is this common for Eastern's to have not that many spots?

Eastern tigers exhibit a wide variation in coloration and pattern. Is it common for them to not have very many spots? Not really, but then again, it isn't unheard of.

 

[Coastal Groovin]

I'm 90% sure its a dark A.tigrinum tigrinum. The head and feet are saying Tiger salamander. Can you post some pictures of the undersides of the back feet. Any tubercles under there? Tigers should have 2 tubercles on each hind foot. Look closely under good lighting. They are tuff to see sometimes even on adults.

 

[Niels D]

I've seen a tiger like this before. That one even had less spots.

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Could just be a crazy Hybrid.

 

[FrogEyes]

In Indiana, it would be A.tigrinum. While the shadows seem to hide patterns typical of tigers, those markings are also NOT characteristic of any other eastern mole salamander. It appears to be a recent metamorph, which could explain some of the darkness. I've seen some A.mavortium start dark and become more distinct, and some start brilliant and become muddy. Many of the A.tigrinum I've seen have been recent metamorphs with relatively little distinct pattern.

 

[beefsteak]

It looks like a north western, A gracile to me?

 

[Greatwtehunter]

In Indiana, it would be A.tigrinum. While the shadows seem to hide patterns typical of tigers, those markings are also NOT characteristic of any other eastern mole salamander.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've seen, and have, pictures of A. maculatum (which also occur in Indiana) with the same markings. There is no way to definitely say what species it is without DNA analysis.

 

[Kaysie]

It looks like a north western, A gracile to me?

Indiana is WAY out of range, and this one lacks the huge parotids associated with gracile.

 

[Jan]

Look at the slender toes - not the 'typical' characteristic of an Eastern tiger. I grew up in NW Indiana, where Eastern tigers abounded. We also had a population of pure black salamanders with silver underbellies, however. They had the same body build/head/eyes of an eastern, but not the yellow splotched underbelly. At that age ( a few years ago , I didn't care what they were...but today I wonder.

 

[Kaysie]

Jan, are you thinking about the two 'hybrid species', A. platineum and A. tremblayi?

 

[Jan]

Kaysie - I have thought about these....but, they did not have any silver/blue flecks/spots on the body. Truly, they were pitch black with silver/grey bellies.

 

[Kaysie]

Strange... I wonder if there wasn't a melanistic population. I'm sure you've heard about melanistic snakes on Lake Erie islands. I've always thought that something like that would be possible in amphibs, but it would be more localized, as they obviously don't disperse as far.