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| Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)
 Introduction
The Jefferson Salamander is a “Threatened” Species in Canada, and is only found along the southern portions of the Niagara Escarpment and the western portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine north of Toronto. The Jefferson Salamander hybridizes with Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale), and Small- mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum). This salamander is an Obligate Vernal Pool Species
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| Description: |
- Medium sized salamander
- Dark brown to dark grey base colour, with light blue flecks along the sides and tail
- Pale grey belly
- Long snouts and toes
- Glands behind eyes
- Tail flattened vertically
- Prominent costal grooves
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| Size: |
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| Distribution: |
- Concentrated in the southern portion of the Niagara Escarpment and the western portion of the Oak Ridges Moraine
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| Abundance: |
- Federally Threatened Species according to COSEWIC
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| Non- Breeding Habitat: |
- Moist, well drained, undisturbed deciduous and mixed forests with closed canopy
- Forest floor under leaf litter, logs, and in rock crevices
- Uses burrows of other animals
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| Breeding Habitat: |
- Vernal Pools or ephemeral wetlands adjacent to woodlands
- Water must last until at least mid-summer
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| Timing of Breeding: |
- Late March to the mid-April. Before the ice is completely off the ponds
- One of earliest breeders
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| Egg masses: |
- Elongated egg masses of 1 to 60 eggs, a single female may lay up to 280 eggs
- Eggs are attached to vegetation, prefers submerged branches and sticks
- Eggs hatch after 3 to 6 weeks depending on water temperature
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| Larvae: |
- Dark, with broad head and white throat
- External gills
- Survival rate is low likely due to predation
- Transform in two to three months
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| Juveniles: |
- 4.8 to 7.5 cm
- Grey with some blue flecks
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| Migration: |
- Adults to breeding vernal pools and wetlands in late March to late April
- Breeding migration usually takes place on the first warm rainy nights of early spring.
- Juvenile migration late July to September
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| Larvae Food: |
- Aquatic invertebrates and smaller salamander larvae
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| Larvae Predation: |
- Aquatic invertebrates, and other larger Ambystoma salamanders larvae
- Ferocious predator
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| Adult Food: |
- Worms, snails, slugs, insects, centipedes, spiders, and other invertebrates
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| Adult Predation: |
- Snakes, turtles, herons, and raccoons
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| Conservation Concerns: |
- Introduction of fish may affect the survival of larval salamanders
- Habitat loss and pesticide use may also reduce numbers in populations
- Sensitive to disturbance by logging or grazing
- Fatal encounters with automobiles during migration
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References:
Harding, J.H., 1997. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. The University of Michigan Press. Ann Arbor
Kenny, L.P. and M.R. Burne. 2000. A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, and the Vernal Pool Association.
MacCulloch, R.D., 2002. The ROM Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum and McClelland & Stewart Ltd. Toronto.
Natural Resources Canada-Great Lakes Forestry Centre. Salamanders of Ontario. http://www.glfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/landscape/sal_e.html. Visited January 17, 2004 at 4:00 pm
Parmelee, J.R., M.G. Knutson, and J.E. Lyon. 2002. A Field Guide to Amphibian larvae and eggs of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Information, and Technology Report USGS/BRD/ITR-2002-0004, Washington, D.C. iv + 38 pp.
Toronto Zoo – Adopt-A-Pond Program. Guide to the Amphibian and Reptiles of Ontario – Jefferson Salamander. http://www.torontozoo.com/adoptapond/guide/jefferson.html . Visited January 18, 2004 at 8:30 pm
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