Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum

The spotted salamander is a fairly large ambystomatid, frequently more than 6-7 inches long (total length) and is most common in Piedmont and Mountain regions of South Carolina and Georgia. This species is easily identified from the series of yellow or orange spots for which it gets its name. The spots are often in two rows down either side of the dorsum, from the tip of the nose to the tip of the snout. The background color is usually black, black-blue, or dark gray. The egg masses of A. maculatum are also easily identified. Eggs are laid in large masses that are surrounded by a conspicuously thick, firm, jelly-like matrix. Frequently algae colonize the egg masses, giving them a greenish tint on close inspection. It is thought that this is a symbiotic relationship between the algae and the salamander. The algae are provided with a safe place to live and grow; in turn, algae produce oxygen, which is needed for embryonic development of the larvae, and may otherwise be scarce within the dense jelly supporting the egg mass. Spotted salamanders commonly breed in temporary wetlands but are generally more tolerant of fish and moving water than other mole salamanders in our region.