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The mysterious tiger salamander: What are the surprising features of North America's largest terrestrial salamander?
The tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) is a North American burrowing salamander and one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America. This unique creature has many fascinating features that make it tempting to learn more about its habitat, breeding habits, and associated diseases.
Appearance Features
Tiger salamanders are typically 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters) long and can live 12 to 15 years.
They have a distinctive appearance with markings on their backs ranging from brown to greenish-yellow, and the rest of their backs being black or dark brown. Tiger salamanders have smooth bodies with ribs on their sides that help them control water. This salamander has a short snout, a thick neck, strong limbs and a long tail. There are clear differences between the sexes, with males generally being larger in size and having longer, higher-mounted tails.
Habitat
Tiger salamanders' habitats range from forests with evergreen and deciduous trees to open grasslands, and these mysterious creatures spend most of their time in underground burrows, making them difficult to spot. They need loose soil to dig burrows and will migrate to new areas after breeding. According to research, females typically migrate farther than males, and larger individuals also migrate longer distances.
Reproduction habits
Tiger salamanders are very loyal to their birthplace and will travel long distances back to their original habitat after breeding.
These salamanders usually breed between late winter and early spring each year. The male will gently push the female to induce mating, and then deposit a sperm packet on the bottom of the water, while the female will attach her eggs to branches and plants in the water to protect them.
Diseases and existential threats
Although tiger salamanders are immune to some diseases, they are vectors of Vibrio dendrobatidis, a fungus that poses a significant threat to most frog species. In addition, these salamanders also carry viruses that affect reptiles and other amphibians, which can be spread through the use of salamander larvae as bait. These viruses can cause high mortality rates among tiger salamander larvae, posing a potential threat to their populations.
Related Species
Biologically, the tiger salamander is closely related to the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) and the striped tiger salamander (A. mavortium). Although these species were once considered subspecies of the same species, with the advancement of genetic research, they are now classified as separate species. The Mexican toothed salamander, a distant relative of the tiger salamander, retains its metamorphosis characteristics and does not undergo a complete transformation throughout its life cycle.
Cultural and Modern Significance
Since 2005, the tiger salamander has been proposed as the official amphibian of the state of Illinois, USA, a sign of the creature's importance to society.
The mysterious characteristics of tiger salamanders and their living environment have deeply attracted biologists and nature lovers, which makes us think: how can we protect the survival of creatures in this ever-changing environment? What about space?
