Tiger salamander | Facts & Information
# Tiger Salamander | Facts & Information
Tiger Salamander | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Tiger Salamander
The tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) belongs to the category of amblistomoids which are primitive amphibians because they have amphicelitic vertebrae.
Tiger Salamander
The Tiger Salamander, also known as the Giant Salamander, is a fascinating amphibian found in various mountainous regions in southern and southeastern Europe. The name of this animal comes from the distinct patterns on its skin, which resemble tiger stripes. It stands out with its unique appearance and is considered an emblematic and protected species in many countries.The Tiger Salamander belongs to the salamandridae family and is one of the largest amphibians in Europe. It can reach a length of up to 40 centimeters, making it one of the largest salamanders in the world. Its body is robust and powerful, with a long tail and a wide head. Its smooth skin generally has a dark color, ranging from black to dark brown, and its back bears yellow or orange stripes that give it its characteristic appearance.
The natural habitat of the tiger salamander is wet forests and mountainous areas, especially regions with flowing water and waterfalls. It is mainly found in Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and other Balkan countries. These amphibians live near rivers and springs because water is essential for their reproduction. They also prefer areas with many cracks in rocks or under fallen tree trunks, where they can hide during the day and hibernate in winter.
A unique characteristic of the tiger salamander is its ability to regenerate limbs. If it loses a leg or tail due to an attack or accident, it can regenerate the missing limbs in a relatively short period of time. This regenerative ability is extremely rare in the animal kingdom, making it even more interesting and fascinating.
The Tiger Salamander is a carnivorous species and feeds on various invertebrates such as insects, worms, and snails. Being an efficient predator, it hides and waits for the prey to pass by, relying on its large eyes and quick movements to locate and capture it. Although it is an amphibian, this salamander lives and hunts exclusively on land, which provides it with more mobility.
The breeding period of the tiger salamander takes place during spring and varies depending on the region and climatic conditions. The female deposits the eggs in flowing water, in deep and isolated places, sometimes even under rocks or in cracks in the riverbank. After hatching, the larvae live in water and feed on microbial organisms. As they grow, they transform into a terrestrial form and gradually take on the appearance of adults.
Although the tiger salamander is a protected animal in many countries, including Romania, its main enemy is the destruction of its natural habitat. Massive deforestation and river pollution lead to a decline in the population of this species. Furthermore, the digging of the ground in search of tiger salamander hybrids and their trafficking on the black market pose a serious threat to the survival of this species. Therefore, it is essential to take measures against these threats and protect their natural habitat.
In conclusion, the tiger salamander is a unique and impressive amphibian, both in terms of its physical appearance and behavior. With its amazing ability to regenerate limbs and its presence in the mountainous regions of southern and southeastern Europe, the tiger salamander is an important member of its ecosystems. In light of contemporary threats, it is imperative to undertake conservation actions to protect this fascinating and fragile species.
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Facts
Origin
This salamander lives in forests and grasslands throughout North America, from northern Mexico to Canada.
It prefers moist places near rivers, ponds, lakes, swamps, hiding in rodent burrows or pits that it digs alone in moist and loose soil.
The tiger salamander is a common North American species, threatened due to natural habitat destruction and pollution, but is not in danger of extinction.
It has the scientific name Ambystoma tigrinum, belongs to the order Caudata, family Ambystomatidae.
Feeding The Tiger Salamander
The tiger salamander is a great lover of wet places, it is a nocturnal species that stays during the day hidden in shelters, does not appear at all in sunny open spaces.
Its food is made up of insects, crickets, cockroaches, snails, worms and other small invertebrate animals. He follows his prey quietly and suddenly jumps on it with his mouth wide open.
He quickly catches it with his tongue, brings it into his mouth, grinds it with his teeth and swallows it. It is very greedy, in the stomach of some specimens (which was up to 10 cm long) were found up to 60 victims.
She has a well-developed sense of smell, which helps her detect prey.
Adult specimens hunt larger animals such as baby mice or small frogs.
Features Tiger Salamander
In North America the tiger salamander is considered one of the most colorful amphibians. It has a body length of 18-35 cm, the tail measuring more than half of this size.
On the sides of the body has 12-13 carcateristic grooves of the species. The body has a black, brown or olive-dark color with different yellow spots on the dorsal side, the rest on the ventral side is gray.
The lower neck area is yellow especially in adult specimens. The intensity of the colors varied from one specimen to another. The head is large, the snout broad and rounded, the angular bones of the skull are missing, and the Palatine teeth are arranged in transverse strings.
The pienal gland of this salamander is located behind the eyes and indicates that it has good visual memory. On the sides of the head appear large and round, very expressive eyes. The forelimbs are thin, have four fingers each, and the hind limbs are more robust and have five fingers each.
For several months, from October to spring, these salamanders hibernate in burrows dug and abandoned by other animals, especially rodents.
Although they are immune when it comes to themselves tiger salamanders are carriers and transmit a virus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
The California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), the barred tiger salamander (A. mavortium) and the plateau tiger salamander (A. velasci) were considered subspecies of the tiger salamander. Now, after studying genetics, they are considered separate species.
The Mexican salamander axolotl is considered a relative of the tiger salamander.
Breeding Tiger Salamander
The breeding season takes place in the spring months (when they come out of hibernation) or after the period of heavy rains. Mating takes place in lakes, ponds and ponds, the female lays in the water a large number of eggs that vary from 100-1000 (can be even larger).
Eggs are always laid on the bottom of water, rocks or aquatic vegetation and hatch after a period of about 4 weeks. Thus appear the larvae of salamdra-Tiger which are extremely voracious, hunting small invertebrates and aquatic insects.
They have a large mouth, endowed with many teeth, even more than in adult specimens, and sometimes manifest a cannibal instinct due to aggressiveness and desire to feed. In mountainous areas the larvae reach the final stage of development after one year, in lower regions but metamorphosis ends after 3-4 months when they have a body length of 8 cm.
The biggest enemies of the larvae are fish and frogs, and of the adults are raccoons and birds.
The life expectancy of the tiger salamander is about 20 years. Many individuals in the Wild have the chance to mate only once in their lifetime.
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Tiger salamander | Facts & InformationTiger Salamander | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Tiger Salamander