Flatwoods Salamander
(Ambystoma cingulatum)
Physical Description:
- 3 ½" to 5" in length
- Head and limbs are relatively small in size
- Dark with gray netlike markings on its back
- Belly is black with gray specks
Range:
- South Carolina south to Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and Florida, west to se. Mississippi.
Habitat Description:
- Require flat, low-lying longleaf or slash pine forests with interspersed isolated wetlands.
- Spring/Summer; the vast majority of their time is spent underground
- Fall/Winter; autumn showers prompt migration to breeding wetland sites
Feeding:
- A carnivorous, opportunistic feeder,
- Feeds primarily on small worms, beetle larvae, and termites
Breeding:
- In fall they gather at the grassy area between the wetland and forested uplands, laying sticky clusters of eggs that cling to vegetation.
- Female lays up to 160 eggs, singly or in small groups
- As the wetland fills, the eggs are inundated and begin to mature.
- Larvae hatch 3-5 weeks after laying
Interesting Trivia:
- Habitat specialist
- Found primarily underground or in cool, damp crevices under rocks or logs during the day time
- Come out at night to search for food
- Wetlands where eggs are laid must be typically free of large fish that might otherwise eat large numbers of salamander eggs and larvae
Status:
- Federally threatened
Causes for Decline:
- Habitat degradation through forestry operations that cause major soil disturbances and alterations to forest and ground cover conditions surrounding isolated wetlands
- Fire suppression that removes habitat between upland and wetland