© Paul Kister Tiger Salamanders are amphibians. Normal size is 7-8 inches, maximum 14 inches. As adults, tiger salamanders are mostly terrestrial, living underground, but they return to water to breed. The female salamander attaches her fertilized eggs (100 or more each season) to twigs and leaves at the bottom of a pond. Baby salamanders, called larvae, are born with gills and fins so they can breath and swim in water. Between 2.5 and 5 months of age, larval salamanders go through metamorphosis - as their gills and fins shrink they start to grow lungs and legs, turning from an aquatic (water) animal into a terrestrial (land) animal. They eat worms, snails, insects, and slugs. While their natural range is the eastern and central regions of the United States, Tiger Salamander have been introduced to places west of the Rocky Mountains, places like Pipe Spring National Monument! |
Last updated: February 24, 2015