The northern long-toed salamander is common around Potomac but is usually seen during breeding season. The amphibian's aposematic coloring warns predators that it produces a neurotoxin if threatened.
This northern long-toed salamander is named for the extra third long toe on its hind feet.
POTOMAC - This time of year small amphibians can be found around Potomac waterways, yards and in the woods.
The Ambystoma macrodactylum krausei, commonly known as the northern long-toed salamander, lives in the Blackfoot Valley. They are plentiful in this area but are not seen except during breeding season, according to Sandy Perrin at Missoula County Extension.
The characteristic that is the namesake for this species is the extra long third toe on their hind feet. Males are longer limbed and bodied than the females. Some males have been recorded up to seven inches from snout to tail, although they are usually three to four inches long.
Life cycles are simple as the salamander moves from egg to larvae to adult salamander. They lay their eggs in the water and the larvae hatch out with gills, grow legs and then live on land near moisture. Salamanders generally live for five to seven years, said Perrin.
The salamanders are found in wet damp areas like under logs or near water. In the daytime they stay cool and moist in their burrows which keeps their skin moist. When their skin is moist it helps them breathe because oxygen passes through it. They lose water through their skin as well so they need to be around constant moisture to survive.
During the heat of summer the salamanders surface only at night and during rainy times to find food. Wet weather is good hunting weather for the salamanders to find meals including earthworms, ants, slugs, and beetles.
Cannibalism is a behavior of salamander adults who may feed on smaller salamanders or larvae in addition to frog tadpoles and other invertebrates.
Salamander larvae feed on freshwater crustaceans and zooplankton.
When the weather gets colder the adults go into a dormant state. They overwinter in logs and burrows in the ground and come out in early spring.
Garter snakes, kingfishers and shrews prey upon northern long toed salamander adults. Shorebirds, giant water bugs and fish can eat the salamander larvae.
Although the northern long-toed salamanders do not 'attack' when threatened, they may vocally squeak and click, lash and coil their tails. The squeaks are not loud. If the squeaks go unnoticed the salamander goes into a release reaction and secretes a noxious white substance.
The salamander uses aposematism or warning coloration to their advantage in survival. The coloring serves as a warning to predators that it will taste bad.
Perrin said, "The aposematic coloring of the yellow dorsal stripe is likely used to warn predators of the adhesive/neurotoxin components that may cause a foul taste or interrupt neurotransmission in predators."
The northern long-toed salamanders found in the Blackfoot Watershed also release chemical signal cues into their local environment to reiterate their toxic capabilities, which can assure survival of the rarely seen species.
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