Family Ambystomatidae - Mole Salamanders

Number of Species in the World and in Canada
The family Ambystomatidae represents mole salamanders and contains 33 species worldwide and 7 species in Canada.

Identifying Characteristics
Members of this family of salamanders are chunky, largely terrestrial, and live under leaf litter, stones and logs, or in the burrows of other animals. They are called mole salamanders since they burrow underground. Species in this family have well developed costal grooves, 4 sturdy limbs and 4 toes on each front foot, with 5 on each rear foot. This family of salamanders can be difficult to distinguish from members of the family Plethodontidae, but an identifying sign is the absence of a groove running between the lip and the nostrils.

Feeding
These salamanders look for their food on land and eat earthworms, insects, and molluscs.

Mating
Breeding occurs in early spring in temporary pools. In shallow water, small colourless eggs are laid singly, in small clusters, or in globular masses. The eggs hatch within a few days to a week and the tadpoles transform into juveniles by July or August.

All seven members of this family found in Canada belong to the genus Ambystoma:
Jefferson's salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)
Blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale)
Yellow-spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
Smallmouth salamander (Ambystoma texanum)
Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
Northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile)
Long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum)