Barred Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma mavortium

One of the longest land salamanders in North America, a striped burrower of western grasslands and deserts.

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About the Barred Tiger Salamander

Barred tiger salamanders grow 13 to 14 inches long, making them one of the longest land salamanders in North America, maybe in the world. They have thick bodies and tails with gray or yellow stripes or blotches. They live from Canada to southern Texas and from California east to the Dakotas and Oklahoma, in forests, fields, grasslands and deserts. They eat small invertebrates.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Ambystoma mavortium^[1]
Size: 13 to 14 inches long.^[1]
Lifespan: 15 years or more.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Small invertebrates.^[1]
Habitat: Forests, fields, meadows, grasslands and deserts; breeds in pools and slow streams.^[1]
Where it lives: Western North America, from Canada to southern Texas and California to the Dakotas and Oklahoma.^[1]
Group life: Mostly nocturnal; lives in burrows.^[1]
Babies: Eggs hatch in 19 to 50 days into gilled larvae.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021).^[2]

Fun facts

Its larvae are called 'water dogs.'^[1]
It's one of the longest land salamanders in North America.^[1]
Adults gather at pools after rain to breed.^[1]

Vocabulary

amphibian: A cold-blooded animal, such as a frog or salamander, that usually starts life in water and has moist skin.
larva: A young animal that looks very different from the adult, such as a tadpole.
gill: A body part that lets an animal breathe underwater.
nocturnal: Active mainly at night.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · AmazoniaSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Barred tiger salamander.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/barred-tiger-salamander (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ambystoma mavortium (Western Tiger Salamander).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/199970/196342549 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

More Salamanders

AxolotlAmbystoma mexicanumA Mexican salamander that keeps its feathery gills and stays in the water its whole life, famous for regrowing lost body parts.California Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma californienseA big black salamander with yellow spots that lives in ground-squirrel burrows and breeds in seasonal pools in central California.Eastern NewtNotophthalmus viridescensA small newt with red, black-ringed spots that lives in water, then on land as a red 'eft,' then in water again.Eastern Red-backed SalamanderPlethodon cinereusA small, lungless woodland salamander that breathes through its skin and can drop its tail to escape.Emperor NewtTylototriton shanjingA highly toxic, black-and-orange newt with bony head ridges from the mountains of western China.HellbenderCryptobranchus alleganiensisThe largest salamander in the Americas, a flat, wrinkly river giant that breathes mostly through its skin.Japanese Giant SalamanderAndrias japonicusThe world's second-largest salamander, a 5-foot river dweller from Japan that can live more than 70 years.Long-tailed SalamanderEurycea longicaudaA yellow-orange salamander with black spots whose tail makes up about 60 percent of its length.Seal SalamanderDesmognathus monticolaA lungless stream salamander of the Appalachian Mountains that breathes through its skin and hides under rocks in shallow water.Shenandoah SalamanderPlethodon shenandoahOne of North America's rarest salamanders, found only on three mountaintops in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park.