- Ambystoma mavortium
Taxobox
name = Barred Tiger Salamander
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Amphibia
ordo = Caudata
familia =Ambystomatidae
genus = "Ambystoma "
species = "A. mavortium"
binomial = "Ambystoma mavortium"
binomial_authority = Baird, 1850The Barred Tiger Salamander ("Ambystoma mavortium") is a
species ofsalamander found from southwesternCanada inBritish Columbia ,Alberta ,Saskatchewan andManitoba , south through the westernUnited States toTexas , and northernMexico .Description
The Barred Tiger Salamander is one of the largest land species, with a broad head and a bulky body. Its skin is moist and typically dark brown to olive green, or black in color, with large yellow blotches. They are capable of growing to 14 inches (35 cm) in length. But 6-12 inches is more common mouth to tail. The tail of the salamander is also laterally compressed like all Tiger Salamander species.
Behavior
Primarily nocturnal, Barred Tiger Salamanders are opportunistic feeders, and will often eat anything they can catch, including various
insect s,slug s, andearthworm s. They are primarily terrestrial as adults, but their juvenilelarva l stage is entirely aquatic, having externalgill s.Subspecies
There are five recognized
subspecies of "A. mavortium":*Gray Tiger Salamander, "
Ambystoma mavortium diaboli " (Dunn, 1940)
*Barred Tiger Salamander, "Ambystoma mavortium mavortium" (Baird, 1850)
*Blotched Tiger Salamander, "Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum " (Baird, 1860)
*Arizona Tiger Salamander, "Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum " (Hallowell, 1853)
*Sonoran Tiger Salamander, "Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi " (Lowe, 1954)In captivity
Tiger Salamanders are frequently kept in captivity. Barred Tiger Salamanders are legal to sell and are common in pet shops in the mid to southwest USA. Their large size allows for ease of feeding, and their hardy nature make them excellent captives. Their larval stage is often sold as
fishing bait, marketed as mud puppies or water dogs.Trivia
The Barred Tiger Salamander is the State Amphibian of
Kansas .References
* [http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml Caudata Culture: Tiger Salamanders]
* [http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/references.php?id=20989 Amphibian Species of the World: "Ambystoma mavortium"]
*ITIS|ID=668193|taxon=Ambystoma mavortium|year=2006|date=10 July
* [http://www.amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?query_src=aw_lists_genera_&table=amphib&where-genus=Ambystoma&where-species=mavortium AmphibiaWeb: "Ambystoma mavortium"]
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