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The Tiger Salamander's Habitats

The tiger salamander is an amphibian that is easily recognizable by the unusual patterns and markings on its body. Tiger salamanders have yellow or olive stripes down their sides on a black or brown background. These salamanders are widely spread and can be found in a variety of habitats.

  1. Types of Tiger Salamanders

    • The different types of tiger salamanders can be differentiated by the markings on their bodies and the shades of colors. The types of tiger salamanders include the Eastern tiger salamander, the barred tiger salamander, the blotched tiger salamander and the Arizona tiger salamander. Other types of tiger salamanders include the gray tiger salamander and the Sonoran tiger salamander.

    General Habitat

    • Salamanders are amphibious, meaning that they live partly on land and partly in the water. However, salamanders are mostly terrestrial once they attain adulthood. They only return to the water to breed. They spend the most part of their adult lives in burrows they dig themselves or by other creatures. Tiger salamanders usually make their burrows near their breeding sites. This means that they can be found in ditches, near sub-alpine lakes, quarry ponds and streams. Tiger salamanders prefer areas with loose sandy soil that can be burrowed.

    Habitat in North America

    • Tiger salamanders can be found in different places ranging from western to central Canada to Long Island, New York. Arizona tiger salamanders' habitats range from Utah and Arizona to central Colorado. Gray tiger salamanders' habitats range from western Minnesota to Saskatchewan. The habitat of the Eastern tiger salamander ranges from Kansas through Florida to New York. The botched tiger salamander may be found in southern Alberta and Nebraska.

    Status of Tiger Salamanders

    • Some states, like New Jersey, have listed the tiger salamander as endangered primarily due to the loss of their natural habitat. Another contributing factor in the salamander decline is habitat pollution. Rapid urban development has led to human encroachment on the natural habitats and breeding sites of the tiger salamanders. However, some stable populations of tiger salamanders can be found in protected areas, like state-owned forests and parks. The salamander is adaptable, which is another factor in its population increase. Most of them can use man-made pools as breeding grounds.

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