Posted by:
CKing
at Wed Jul 2 23:37:36 2008 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by CKing ]
>>How can you tell if a tiger salamander is a male or female? Is there any easy way or not? >>
Males are bigger and they usually have longer tails with taller tail fins. During the breeding season, the cloacal region of the male is also swollen. Tiger salamanders use their tails as part of their defense against predators. When approached and if the animal feels threatened, the salamander will raise its tail and move it slowly side to side to draw attention toward the tail and away from its body. Often a predator such as a fox or coyote will bite the tail and tear off the distal half of the tail. The poison secreted by the salamander's injured tail will cause the predator to leave the salamander alone instead of eating the entire animal. So, in nature, there are often tiger salamanders with regenerating tails. If the tail looks like it is not the original, then ascertaining its sex is more difficult.
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