Ambystoma texanum

Smallmouth Salamander
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Caudata
Family:	Ambystomatidae
Genus:	Ambystoma
Species:	A. texanum
Binomial name
Ambystoma texanum Matthes, 1855
Synonyms
Salamandra texana Matthes, 1855 Amblystoma microstomum Cope, 1861 Chondrotus microstomus Cope, 1887 Ambystoma schmidti Taylor, 1939 Linguaelapsus schmidti Freytag, 1959 Linguaelapsus texanus Freytag, 1959 Ambystoma nothagenes Kraus, 1985

The Smallmouth Salamander (Ambystoma texanum) is a species of salamander found in the central United States, from the Great Lakes region in Michigan to Nebraska, south to Texas, and east to Tennessee, with a population in Canada, in Pelee, Ontario. It is sometimes referred to as the Texas Salamander, Porphyry Salamander, or the Narrowmouthed Salamander. The Kelley’s Island Salamander (Ambystoma nothagenes) was synonymized with A. texanum in 1995.

Description

The Smallmouth Salamander grows from 4.5 to 7 inches. It is typically black or dark brown in color with light grey or silvery colored flecking, or grey blotching. It has a fairly small head, relative to its body, and a long tail. Males are typically smaller than females. Their bellies are black often with tiny flecks and has 14 to 15 coastal grooves.

Behavior

Smallmouth Salamanders are nocturnal, often subterranean, preferring moist habitats near permanent bodies of water. Breeding occurs in the spring, with groups of salamanders congregating near the water. Females can lay upwards of 700 eggs, which they attach in small clumps of up to 30 eggs at a time, to rocks or vegetation under the water. Their preferred diet is insects, slugs, and earthworms. Larvae hatch at 1/2" (13 mm); metamorphisize May to June at about 1⁵⁄₈" (40 mm). When disturbed, the Small-mouthed raises its tail and waves it back and forth. Being shy and sensitive it shares breeding pools with the larger Spotted Salamander and Marbled Salamanders.

Habitat & Range

Small-mouths live in moist pine woodlands and deciduous forest bottomlands, tallgrass prairies, farming ares, subterranean, near temporary ponds, and along streams. Their range is from Ohio south to the Gulf, west to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

References

• Northern Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum), Natural Resources Canada
• Herps of Texas: Ambystoma texanum
• Animal Diversity Web: Ambystoma texanum
• Amphibian Species of the World: Ambystoma texanum
• Illinois Natural History Survey: Ambystoma texanum
• Smallmouth Salamander - Ambystoma texanum Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide