Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there!

I've had a salamander for about a year now, and once again I'm trying to classify him. I know he must be a tiger salamander, but when researching them I come up with two supspecies that seem accurate. I'm hoping someone can help tip the scales in one direction or another.

I live in southern Wisconsin, about 10 miles from the Illinois border. I caught this Salamander in early fall migration.

Images are attached.

I'm inclined to classify him as an Arizona Tiger Salamander, but I'm not sure if their range is such that there would be colonies living in Southern Wisconsin. All the hundreds of salamanders I saw in migration that day were the same supspecies, so I don't think he's just a freak accident.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/LadyWillow15/Chomper002Resize.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/LadyWillow15/Chomper001Resize.jpg

Thanks for any help you guys can give!

Pardon the typos, I meant "subspecies" of course.

And I forgot to mention, he's about 8 inches long.

And might not be a he. How exactly would I tell? XD

The only tiger salamander native to Wisconsin is the eastern. A field guide or internet search for "Wisconsin amphibians" can help you out when trying to identifiy things you find in your area.

Tim

Teaxs Barred Salamander:

Third Eye

Since tiger salamanders are often sold as fish bait, some subspecies may turn up in areas in which they are not native, but the pictures you showed seem to suggest Eastern tiger salamander. The tiger salamanders of the west (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona) tend to have less black ground color and the light spots tend to coalesce to cover much of the back, probably because such coloration is more cryptic in their woodland type habitats.