Tiger salamander
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| Photo by Drew R. Davis |
Long-toed salamander
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| Photo by Connor Long |
Long-toed salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are an at-risk species in Alberta, which means their population is at risk of getting smaller. They are brown or green in colour, with a yellow stripe on their backs, and long toes on their hind feet. It is found west of the Rocky Mountains, and is nocturnal, like the tiger salamander. As a member of the family Ambystomatidae, it has costal grooves, which are ridges running top-to-bottom on the sides of its body.
Salamanders in an urban wildlife context
A CBC article from 2021 describes research undertaken by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) to look for salamander populations in the Edmonton area. The technology, called Environmental DNA (eDNA), has been used in the monitoring of other animal populations, such as otters and minks.
What is an axolotl, and are they present in Alberta?
An axolotl is a type of salamander that becomes sexually mature but retains features of baby salamanders, in a process called paedomorphism. As babies, salamanders live entirely in the water and have gills on the sides of their necks, which help them to breathe. Once the salamander is older, it undergoes metamorphosis, where the gills are absorbed and the salamander grows lungs. It then moves out of the water and onto land for the rest of its life. Baby salamanders also lack eyelids and tongues, and have flattened, tadpole-like tails.
These special salamanders are quite often the subject of viral online videos, but they are not restricted to only one species. Tiger salamanders in Alberta have been known to experience neoteny, which is a type of paedomorphism. Neotenic salamanders resemble baby salamanders but are full-grown adults. According to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), neotenic tiger salamanders have been found in Tyrrell Lake, Alberta.
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