Tiger Salamander

Looks how to spot one

Thick-bodied, smooth-skinned mole salamander

A large, heavy-set salamander with a short broad snout, thick neck, strong legs and a long tail. Its smooth skin shows grooves along the sides, and males tend to be bigger with longer, taller tails.12

Personality what they are like

A calm, hardy salamander with a generally docile nature that spends much of its time tucked away underground.12

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Nocturnal and a keen burrower; it digs its own tunnels and surfaces mainly at night or in wet weather.21

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Give it a deep layer of loose, moist soil so it can dig and control its own humidity, plus a shallow water dish.21

Home where they are happiest

A terrarium with deep, damp, diggable substrate and hides, echoing the woodlands, grasslands and marsh edges near ponds where it lives.21

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Carnivore that eats worms, insects, snails and slugs; larvae eat small crustaceans and insect larvae.12

Company who they like around

Solitary outside the breeding season, when adults travel to ponds to lay eggs.2

The story where it all began

Jacob Green described the species in 1825. Its aquatic larvae, called 'waterdogs', have long been sold as fishing bait and as pets, and Illinois named it the state amphibian in 2005.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Least Concern1

State of Illinois

Official state amphibian (2005)1

Taxonomy

Described by Jacob Green in 18251