Mole Salamander
Ambystoma talpoideum

Although the mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum, is fairly common in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina and Georgia. Adults are nondescript, usually having a fairly uniform ground color that ranges from a muted bluish-gray to nearly black. Mole salamanders rarely get larger than 4.5 inches in total length. The most interesting aspect of A. talpoideum is the polymorphic life cycle it exhibits. Most Ambystoma demonstrate a complex life cycle (typical for many amphibians) where aquatic eggs hatch into aquatic larvae, which later undergo metamorphosis. Once metamorphosis is complete and the larval elements are lost (e.g., gills and tail fins) the juveniles leave the water to mature on land, returning to the ponds only to reproduce. In some populations of A. talpoideum, however, individuals may mature before metamorphosis and thus remain aquatic and reproduce while retaining the larval morphology. This is often referred to as paedomorphosis (as well as a variety of other terms), and represents a radical departure from the standard complex life cycle. Individuals from the same population or even the same clutch of eggs may manifest either of these different life history pathways. The mole salamander breeds in nearly every type of aquatic habitat on the SRS, as long as fish are not present, and most individuals are known to return to the very same pond, bay, or slough in which they hatched.