Species: Ambystoma gracile
Northwestern Salamander
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Articles:
The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe conducts annual surveys of amphibian egg masses in the Reservation Slough wetland near the Sauk River.
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Amphibia
Order
Caudata
Family
Ambystomatidae
Genus
Ambystoma
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
salamandre foncée
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Amphibians - Salamanders
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Amphibia - Caudata - Ambystomatidae - Ambystoma - (Shaffer et al. 1991), a conclusion that is not supported by any morphological data (Kraus 1988).
Ecology and Life History
Short General Description
A large salamander.
Migration
false - true - false - Nonpaedomorphic populations migrate between breeding and nonbreeding habitats; usually migrates on rainy nights.
Non-migrant
false
Locally Migrant
true
Food Comments
Larvae feed on zooplankton as well as many other aquatic invertebrates. Diet of terrestrial adults is not well documented, but they apparently feed on a wide variety of terrestrial invertebrates (Nussbaum et al. 1983).
Reproduction Comments
Breeding season is variable; begins as early as January in south, extends as late as July in north or at higher elevations. Lays masses of 15-35 eggs or 100-200 eggs, which hatch in 2-4 weeks. Larval period lasts 1-2 years. Montane populations often paedomorphic, some obligately so; incidence of paedomorphosis is positively correlated with increasing elevation, stability of the aquatic habitat, lack of fishes, and slower larval growth rates. Metamorphic and paedomorphic individuals may coexist in the same population.
Ecology Comments
Preyed on by introduced trout, which reduce salamander abundance.
Length
22
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
2008-01-11
Global Status Last Changed
2001-10-03
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S4&US.AK=S3&US.CA=SNR&US.OR=S5&US.WA=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
G - 200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles) - G - Range includes the Pacific coast of North America from extreme southeastern Alaska south through western Canada and the northwestern United States (mainly west of the Cascades) to the Gualala River, California, at elevations from sea level to about 10,200 feet (3,110 meters) (Stebbins 2003).
Global Range Code
G
Global Range Description
200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)