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Taxonomy
Long-toed salamanders belong to the Amphibia class of the Animalia kingdom. They are members of the large Ambystomatidae family known as mole salamanders. The long toed-salamander's Latin name is Ambystoma macrodactylum. There are five subspecies: the Eastern or A. m. columbianum, Western or A.m. macrodactylum, Northern or A. m. krausei, Southern, known as A. m. sigillatum and the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander named A.m. croceum. In areas of overlapping habitats, the subspecies will hybridize.
Description
Long-toed salamanders have slender black bodies, long toes and grow to between 4 and 6 inches long. Their sides have flecks of silvery white. They feature a dorsal stripe running the length of their bodies. The stripe may be continuous, broken or composed of wavy-edged spots. The spots may be separate or fused. The color of the stripe varies according to the subspecies, ranging from tones of yellow, orange and green to a yellowish tan.
Habits
Long-toed salamanders live near water or in protected spaces, such as under decomposing logs. They may be found in forested areas, mountainous meadows or near alpine lakes, streams and ponds. Their range runs from northern British Columbia and eastern Alberta, Montana and Idaho down the west coast of North America to northern California. Long-toed salamanders emerge from their burrows at night to feed on slugs, bugs and worms. The amphibians go dormant over the winter and become active in early spring or late winter.
Reproduction
Male long-toed salamanders walk up to 1/3 mile to reach breeding ponds. The males gather in the ponds a few weeks before the females arrive. The mating ritual involves the male rubbing his chin on a receptive female's nose to release a male pheromone, inducing her to breed. The male then expels a sac of sperm called a spermatophore onto the ground. The female internalizes the sperm through her cloaca, or reproductive organ, to complete fertilization.