Spotted Salamander

Notes:

The spotted salamander usually makes its home around hardwood forest areas. They must have a pond as that is the only place they can lay eggs. A spotted salamander spends most of its time beneath ground level. It hides in moist areas under moss-covered logs or stones. These salamanders are secretive and will only exit their underground home on warm rainy nights in Spring, to breed and hunt. However, during the winter, they hibernate underneath ground level. Their defenses from predators include hiding in leaf litter or logs, autotomy, and a poison, which is not harmful to humans. In ponds or wetlands they hide near the muddy bottoms or hide underneath leaves at the bottom. They have the ability to drop their tails, to distract predators.