User:Grayelephant14/Blue-spotted salamander

Description
Blue-spotted salamanders are between 10 and 14 cm (3.9 and 5.5 in) in length, of which the tail comprises 40%. Generally, males are slightly smaller than their female counterparts (Donato 2000).

Blue-spotted salamanders are nocturnal (Feuka, Hoffman, Hunter, Calhoun, 2017) staying underground during the day and coming out at night to find food (Donato 2000).

Habitat
Blue-spotted salamanders are primarily found in moist, deciduous hardwood forests and swampy woodlands with sandy soil (Donato 2000), though they can be found in coniferous forests and fields too. They prefer vernal pools that retain water into mid-summer, to ensure access to a suitable breeding habitat. Underbrush, leaf litter, rocks and logs are commonly used for shelter. Studies are beginning to show that habitat selection may also be affected by factors such as light pollution and chemical hues. Blue spotted salamanders are facing habitat loss (Hoffman 2017).

Reproduction
'''Blue-spotted salamanders mate through the depositing and collecting of a spermatophore. A spermatophore is a packet of sperm that is deposited by the male. Reproduction is initiated by the male by taking hold of the female and rubbing her head with his chin. The female's eggs can be fertilized by the sperm in the spermatophore, but she must be in close proximity to the spermatophore. The male will try to position her so she is close enough that this can happen (PBS 2023).'''

At hatching, larvae have a well-developed mouth and eyes as well as external gills and broad tail fins (Donato 2000). Front limbs form at two weeks, and hind limbs form at three weeks. '''Larvae live underwater until they transform into the terrestrial form of the salamander. While still in water, the larvae will have more neutral coloring such as browns, greens and grays. The spots will also be yellow instead of blue (Gilhen 1974).''' It will fully transform to its terrestrial state by late summer.[citation needed]

Geographic Range
'''Blue-spotted salamanders can be found in the northeastern parts of North America. New England in the United states has large populations of many types of salamanders, including Ambystoma laterale. Blue-spotted salamanders can be found as far west as the Great Lakes in Michigan and up into the eastern providences of Canada (Donato 2000, Gilhen 1974).'''

Defense
'''Blue-spotted salamanders have several defense mechanisms. The blue spots on the salamander's back and tail make it difficult for predators to clearly see the salamander. Blue-spotted salamanders also have specialized glands on their tails that secrete a milky substance which is harmful to predators. Having a large tail is also advantageous for a salamander as it can use its tail to shield its body from a predator. The large tail covered in a toxic substance would be the first part of the salamander that comes in contact with a predator's mouth, hopefully causing the predator to drop the salamander (Donato 2000).'''

Diet
Blue-spotted salamanders are carnivorous, eating invertebrates such as worms, snails, slugs, centipedes, as well as insects insects. '''Like most salamanders, blue-spotted salamanders stay underground during the day. However, at night they will emerge from the soil to feed. They may also emerge to feed when the environment is rainy or moist (Donato 2000).'''

Interaction with Unisexual Species
'''In the Northern portion of the blue-spotted salamander's geographic range, there is an area where this species interacts with a unisexual population of salamanders. The unisexual population of salamanders interacts with the blue-spotted salamanders to initiate reproduction, as the unisexual species is, for the most part, female. This interaction can be somewhat detrimental to blue-spotted salamander population because genes of the unisexual population are being promoted, creating competition between the two groups (Brodman, Krouse, 2007).'''