| Scientific Name | Specimen Records |  Click photo to enlarge. Photo by Charles Wilder. |
|||
| Ambystoma opacum Gravenhorst | ATBI Database | ||||
| Common Name | |||||
| Marbled salamander | |||||
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | |
| Animalia | Chordata | Amphibia | Caudata | Ambystomatidae | |
| Animals | Chordates | Amphibians | Salamanders | Mole salamanders | |
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
The Marbled salamander is a nonpermanently aquatic salamander, which means that it lives both in and near water and above and below ground. It can be found at elevations below 2,300 feet (700 m) In the Park. Adults grow to 3-5 inches (80-120 mm) and are stout bodied. Their dorsum has large white blotches extending from head to tail on a black matrix. Its belly is black.Similar species
None. Ambystoma opacum is the only salamander in the Park with dorsal transverse white/silver bands.
Photographs
| Adult |
 |
| Click photo to enlarge. Photo by Charles Wilder. |
DISTRIBUTION
Unites States
 Click map to enlarge. |
Marbled salamanders range from the northeast coast down through Georgia and across the Gulf states to Texas. They are also found northward in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. |
Park
 Click map for Park specimens. |
NATURAL HISTORY
Habitat
Ambystoma opacum breeds in dry ponds. Breeding ponds are limited within the Park, being concentrated in Cades Cove and nearby Big Spring Cove (the four Finley-Cane sinkhole ponds), the Cane Creek drainage, and at scattered localities between Sugarlands and Cades Cove along the Little River (at the Sinks and ditches along the road to Tremont). These locations are all on the Tennessee side of the Park. On the North Carolina side of the Park beaver ponds are found in Bone Valley and Big Cove, along with small scattered ditches and wetlands occurring in the Cataloochee Valley, but no pond salamanders are known to breed in them.
The life cycle of semi-aquatic salamanders takes place in and near water, as well as, above and below ground. Surface activity is only a small part of their life cycle. Most species probably have a small ground surface home range beneath debris and litter. They spend a significant part of their lives underground. As young juveniles, they may remain nearly entirely underground. As adults, they may spend long intervals on the surface feeding and guarding territory.
Species occasionally become arboreal during the night or under rainy conditions; often finding shelter under loose bark. Cold, heat, and drought generally keep salamanders under cover, conversely heavy rains and high humidity tend to bring them to the surface. They often leave cover when the soil is moist or at night, when they forage.
Reproduction
Marbled salamander adults may migrate at the same time to breeding sites, despite being constrained to one or a few nights during the breeding season. Males and females may not stay at breeding sites for equal amounts of time, even if the breeding season is extended.
They deposit their eggs on dry
pond bottoms from October through November (in pond
by September). As the pond fills, the eggs are inundated and incubate from 9-15 days, they must be
flooded for 1-2 days for incubation to occur. Hatching occurs during the winter. Hatchlings
are about
half an inch (10-14 mm) total length, remaining as larvae
for 5-7
months. Metamorphosis occurs from late March through mid-June. By this time the larvae
have grown to approximately two inches (49-58 mm).
Larvae
The larval dorsal pattern is blackish to drab, mottling begins to appear as the larvae grow. The belly pattern has a stippled throat and scattered melanophores on the lateral sides. The tail dorsal fin extends almost to front limbs. There are a series of ventrolateral light spots forming a line below limb insertions. Pond larvae have stout bodies, long filamentous gills, and a wide dorsal fin which extends onto the body. They use the extra surface area of the body and fin as swimming aids.
| Larva | |
 |
 |
| Click illustrations to enlarge. Illustrations by J. B. Grant. |
|
Longevity
Mole salamanders may live 10-15 or more years.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
Special Protection Status
Rangewide
None.
In Park
Picking, digging, or otherwise damaging plants is prohibited in the Park. Collection is allowed only by special permit for research or educational purposes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Illustrations
Jacqualine Grant, 2001.Maps
United States: ARMI National Atlas for Amphibians Distributions. 2004. http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/armiatlas/index.cfm. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD 20708-4039.
Park: Discover Life in America - All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. 2007. The ATBI Database. http://tremont22.campus.utk.edu/ATBI_start.cfm, Discover Life in America, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738.
Photographs
Web page
REFERENCES
Dodd, C. Kenneth. 2003. Monitoring Amphibians in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. U.S. Geological Survey circular; 1258.
Dodd, C. Kenneth. 2004. The Amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Tilley, S. G., Huheey, J. E., 2001. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains Association. Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
