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Animal profile

Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma tigrinum

AmphibiaGrassland, woodland and scrub with access to fishless pondsLeast Concern

Field profile

The tiger salamander is a large, heavy-bodied mole salamander marked with irregular yellow or olive blotches on dark skin. Adults live underground in burrows for most of the year, and larvae develop in ponds without fish. It is one of the most widespread salamanders in North America.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-03-24

Tiger Salamander

Some tiger salamander larvae become cannibals

In crowded ponds, a fraction of tiger salamander larvae develop wider heads and enlarged teeth and begin eating their pondmates. The switch is triggered by conditions rather than fixed at fertilisation, and cannibals avoid eating close relatives.

Read with evidence →

Tiger Salamander | Daily Animal Facts