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Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsin’s Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides by Mary Linton

Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

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Page 1: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Salamander Identification Guide

Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsin’s Salamanders

byWisconsin Audubon Chapters

Randy Korb, Project DirectorTraining Guides by Mary Linton

Page 2: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

This guide will help you identify Wisconsin’s salamanders. Two other guides are also available: a guide to Wisconsin’s frogs, toads, and treefrogs, and a guide to the Protocols for the citizen salamander monitoring project.

The guides are in PowerPoint, a presentation software made by Microsoft. You movethrough the guide by clicking your mouse or touchpad until you see “THE END”.

There are many other good resources available, and we will list some good sources at the end of this guide.

Page 3: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Purpose of this Project• Wisconsin has a long-term and successful monitoring program for

frogs, toads and tree frogs, the members of the Class Amphibia that have males that call during mating . They use the calls of these amphibians to verify their presence in habitats all over the state.

• Salamanders, the other large group of the Class Amphibia, don’t make mating calls, so cannot be monitored simply. This project seeks to begin a systematic monitoring of salamanders that will add to what is already known about their populations in Wisconsin. In specific, your efforts will help verify distributions of salamanders and fill the large gaps of knowledge in areas where salamander surveys have not been conducted.

• The data you collect will help preserve and protect Wisconsin’s salamanders.

Page 4: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Amphibians come in two types

those without tails those with tails

These belong to the Order Anurawhich includes Frogs, Toads and Tree Frogs

The juvenile stage is called a Tadpole

Clyde Peeling

These belong to the Order Caudatawhich includes Salamanders, Newts

and MudpuppiesThe juvenile stage is called a Larva

Missouri State Biology

Page 5: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Wisconsin’s 6 salamander species exhibit the full range of Amphibian life cycles:

• Mole salamanders in the Family Ambystomatidae: breed in water, larvae are aquatic and adults are terrestrial. 3 species.

• Newts in the Family Salamandridae: breed in water, adults are aquatic, there are 2 sub adult stages – first an aquatic larva and then a terrestrial juvenile called an eft. 1 species.

• Lungless Salamanders in the family Plethodontidae: 2 species in Wisconsin – both with terrestrial adults, but one also has terrestrial larvae, while the other has aquatic larvae.

• Mudpuppies in the Family Proteidae: All life stages are aquatic. 1 species

Page 6: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

During this initial season of salamander monitoring we will focus on those species that can be collected in a minnow trap.

The salamanders most of us will find will have adults that breed in water, aquatic larvae, or aquatic adults.

Page 7: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Here are important characteristics for identifying adults of Wisconsin’s 5 salamander species

1.Adults have external

gills for breathing?

None here, but

The mudpuppy has deep red gills

ohiohistorycentral,.org

Page 8: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Redbacks are slender

2.Is the body

robust or is it slender?

Robust here but

ohiohistorycentral,.org

Page 9: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Newts have no coastal grooves

3.Are there vertical grooves on the body – called Coastal Grooves?

Plenty here but

ohiohistorycentral,.org

Page 10: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Family AmbystomatidaeMole Salamanders

Page 11: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

A Typical Mole Salamander Life Cycle

After a dance and mating, eggsare laid in the pond. The eggs are covered with one or more gelatinous layers and are laidin small or large clumps.

Surviving eggs hatch into larvae that stay in the pond until ready tometamorphose – turn into new, smallterrestrial salamanders. Note the 4legs , external gills, and body – definitely no tadpole.

Mole salamanders are among the first amphibiansto breed in the spring. They rise from their underground overwintering sites and head to their breeding ponds – typically an ephemeral pond, or one that fills in late fall or early spring, then dries in late summer or fall. Mole salamanders can successfully breed here because ephemeral ponds lack vertebrate predators. The larvae leave the pond at the

end of summer and eventuallybecome adults

Page 12: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Tiger Salamander – Ambystoma tigrinum

Five hind toes

Black backgroundwith variable yellowmarks on head, bodyand tail.

Our largest land salamander – 7 to13 inches in length and stocky. They have deep coastal grooves and live in rodent burrows as adults. Adults and larvae are voracious predators. Adults have even been known to eat rodents. Tiger salamander adults live in woods, grass-lands and farmer’s pastures. That’s why they are often found in basement window wells. Tigers breed in ephemeral ponds, permanent ponds, even farm ponds.

Very hefty. Sturdylegs make tigersalamanders betterthan other sala-manders at landtravel.

rbnc.org

Page 13: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Spotted Salamander – Ambystoma maculatum

Our second-largest salamander - 4 to 8 inches. Adults like closed canopy woods with lots of brush. Spotted salamanders breed in ephemeral ponds. Eggs are laid in a solid gelatinous mass attached to twigs or vegetation. The eggs may have a greenish tinge due to an algathat lives in the gelatinous coating.

Black backgroundwith 2 irregularrows of yellow spots running downhead and body. Headspots may be orange.

Five toes on hind foot

Another groovy species

Not as stocky asTigers, but stillrobust.

Page 14: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Blue-spotted Salamander – Ambystoma laterale

Five toes on hind feet

The third groovy species

Dark body fleckedwith many blueor white spots.

Still notslender

The smallest Ambystoma salamander – 3 to 6 inches in length. Blue-spots can secrete amilky white substance when handled, making them very slippery. Take time to get a good hold. The adults live in wooded areas and breed in ephemeral ponds.

Page 15: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

As you can tell by the previous slide, Blue-spot color patterns do vary. Part of this variationis due to the fact that blue-spots have hybridized with other Ambystoma species. Thesehybrids are ancient lines of salamanders that are entirely female and produce offspringfrom unfertilized eggs. The hybrids can be found wherever blue-spots are found and thereis no way to distinguish them in the field. They can only be told apart by examining theirchromosomes. So, if a salamander looks like a blue-spot, record it as a blue-spot.

Page 16: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Family SalamandridaeNewts

Page 17: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

The central newt life cycle is more complicated than that of the Mole salamandersThe adults are usually found in water (1), but can easily survive on land (1). In fact, they hibernate on land and migrate from pond to pond.

Newts dobreed inwater.Could be in Spring orFall.

The eggs (2) are laid on submerged vegetation In the spring. The aquatic larva (3)hatches and grows through summer until it is ready metamorphose (4).

The 2nd

juvenilestage is theterrestrialEft (5). This Is the only stage you won’t catchin a minnowtrap.

Page 18: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Central Newt – a subspecies of the Eastern Newt Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis

No coastal grooves

Five toes onhind feet (really!)

Light-colored bodyflecked with darkspots. Rare largespots with lightinterior. Note whitish belly

Eft,terrestrial juvenile

Aquatic larva

Still robust

The central newt is a small salamander – 2 to 4 inches in length. Its skin is rough and well covered with toxic skin glands. The terrestrial adult tends to be darker than the aquatic adult above. They breed in ponds with good vegetation, so often found in permanent ponds.

Page 19: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

OK. If you know the four we have covered so far, you will be in great shape for your sampling season.

But here are the rest, just in case!

Page 20: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Family PlethodontidaeLungless Salamanders

Page 21: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Four-toed Salamander – Hemidactylium scutatum

4 toes onhind foot

Slender

White belly

Greeenish-Brown backwith blackmottling

Also called the bog salamander because it nests in the sphagnum on the surface of bogs.When the larvae hatch, they wriggle through the moss to the water, grow, then return tothe forests as adults. This is a small salamander – 3 to 4 inches – and very hard to find.Adults mate on land – only the small larva is truly aquatic. Notice the crimp at the start of the tail. They can jettison their tail if being attacked from behind. If anyone finds one of thesewe will have a party.

Page 22: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Red-backed Salamander – Plethodon cinereus

Slender5 toes on hind foot

Red strip on backSides and bellybrown-gray withwhite specks

Red-backs actually exhibit some color variation. The ones with no red stripe on the back aresometimes called lead-backs. This is a completely terrestrial salamander – females nest with,and protect their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the tiny larvae have gill buds for a short time, Then lose the bids and look like tiny adults. Red-backs live in rich woodlands with rotting downed logs where they live and nest. Obviously, these salamanders will not appear in ourminnow traps.

Page 23: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Family ProteidaeMudpuppies

Page 24: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Mudpuppy – Necturus maculosus

4 toes on the hind feet

Bright red gills

Mudpuppies exhibit something called Neotony, or the condition of becoming an adultIn the same form as the larva. In this case a large larva – at 12-16 inches in length theMudpuppy is our largest salamander. Some people consider mudpuppies “trash” critters.They are not poisonous, and in fact are great aquatic citizens. They are the host to theSalamander mussel, an endangered species in Wisconsin.

All stages of lifecycle are found in lakes andrivers.

Page 25: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

How about salamander larvae?

It’s very hard to tell the Ambystomasalamander larvaeapart when they are young.

They look very different fromCentral Newt larvae. If you collecta larva with 5 toes on hind feet, lotsof speckles except on the throat, andno dark line through the eye, call itan Ambystoma larva.

Blue-spotted Salamander

SpottedSalamander

Tiger Salamander

Page 26: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Remember the aquaticlarva of the Central Newt?

If you find a SMALL larva with no coastal grooves (or they are faint), no membranous fin that runs up over the back, and a dark line through theeye, record it as a Central Newt larva,

Page 27: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Larvae of the species you are unlikely to encounter:

Mudpuppy larvae are found in lakesand rivers. They have 4 toes on the hindfeet, are striped, have a dorsal finonly on the tail, and lovely red gills.

4-toed salamander larvae also only have 4 toes on the hind feet, a dorsal fin over the tail and body, and a dark line through the eye (really). Theyare found in bog ponds.

….…

Page 28: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Wisconsin’s salamanders are not evenly distributed across the state.

You can discover what has previously been found in your area by checking the Wisconsin Herp Atlas. It can be found on-line at:

www.uwm.edu/dept/fieldstation/herpetology/atlas/atlas.html

Why not take some time to check the atlas out now?

----- first click on the hotlink above. ------when the Herp Atlas home page appears, click on “Species Accounts”, then on a species from the list on the left margin.

Make special note of the species not strongly represented in your area.

Page 29: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

Feel free to review this presentation as often as you wish.

Here are some other great resources:

Books Amphibians of Wisconsin by Rebecca Christoffel, Robert Hay and Michelle Wolfgram.

can be viewed or purchased on-line at:http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/herps/amphibians

A Field Guide to Amphibian Larvae and Eggs of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa by Jeffrey R. Parmalee, Melinda G. Knutson, and James E. Lyon

can be ordered from the US Geological Survey (1-800-553-6847 or 703-487-4650or contact the author at [email protected]).

Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region by James H. Harding.-available from Amazon, or ordered from your favorite local bookstore.

Websites: EEK (Environmental Education for Kids) by the Wisconsin DNR

[http://dnr.wi.gov/eek]

Page 30: Salamander Identification Guide Citizen Monitoring of Wisconsins Salamanders by Wisconsin Audubon Chapters Randy Korb, Project Director Training Guides

The End

Gallery.cce.cornell.edu