Ambystoma macrodactylum
Identification Tips:
Adults
• Dark gray to black white speckles on sides
• Broad yellow or greenish stripe extending from back of head to tip of tail
• 8-16 cm in length, just over half of which is tail
• 2nd toe from outside of hind feet is exceptionally long
• No large paratoid glands behind eyes
• 12 grooves between ribs along side of body
Conservation Status:
| British Columbia | Canada | Natureserve | |
| COSEWIC | Species at Risk Act | ||
| Not at Risk (Yellow List) | Not at Risk | None | G5, S5 |
Life History:
• Spend most of life underground
• Breed in fall or early spring in Fraser Valley; later at elevation and in interior
• Female lays up to 60 eggs singly or in small clumps attached to underwater vegetation
• Adults feed on variety of invertebrates
• Sexually mature in 2+ years and may live for 10
• Female lays up to 60 eggs singly or in small clumps attached to underwater vegetation
Habitat:
• Found close to water in a variety of habitats including dry woodland, moist forest and subalpine meadow
• From sea level to over 2,400 m elevation
• Breed in shallow still water with abundant vegetation
Range:
British Columbia
• Across most of province including eastern Vancouver Island
• Not found on Haida Gwaii or far north of province.
Global
• Southeastern Alaska to central California
• East to western Alberta, Montana, Idaho
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Primary Information Sources:
Efauna BC: http://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/efauna/
BC Conservation Data Centre: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/
