Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

Undersides are unspotted dingy gray. This is a male as noted during the breeding season by the two swollen glands at the underside of the base of the tail just past the hind legs.

This one's got a lot of little light dots along the tail.

Peek-a-boo

See ya!

This was an incredibly small adult, barely 3 inches long.

Upland forest depression pools that fill during winter rains but are dry during the summer are the typical breeding habitat for Spotted Salamanders.

The breeding season for Spotted Salamanders in the the late winter in North Carolina. After courtship between males and females, the male salamanders attach spermatophore packages to twigs and leaves underwater. These spermatophores appear as pale yellow-orange blobs. Interested females then pick up the spermatophores and use them to fertilize their eggs.

Close up a spermatophore.

Eggs are then laid in clusters and attached to leaves and twigs under water.

Close up of Spotted Salamander egg cluster with developing baby salamanders.