Jefferson Salamander

Fascinating facts about the Jefferson Salamander

• Male Jefferson salamanders are exceptionally rare, with only about two per cent surviving to adulthood, and those that do are sterile. Females of the species are polyploid, possessing extra chromosome sets that can incorporate genetic material from a pure male during mating. When a polyploid female mates with a pure male, the resulting offspring may carry a mixed LJ, LJJ or even LJJJ chromosome configuration, producing the unusual silvery and Tremblay's salamanders.
• At the northern edge of its range the Jefferson salamander is one of the earliest amphibians to emerge from winter, moving across the still-frozen forest understory to reach partially melted breeding ponds. Males begin the migration first, followed shortly by females, and the journey often starts during or after a heavy rain.
• Eggs are deposited in small agglomerations attached to submerged twigs or other natural supports at the edge of fish-less ponds, and they develop extremely quickly, often hatching within fifteen days after being laid. This rapid development allows the next generation to begin life soon after the spring snow melt, synchronising larval growth with the brief availability of warm water.
• After hatching, the young salamanders remain in their fish-less breeding pond for several months. They stay for two to four months, a period during which they increase their body length to three- to eight-fold the size at hatching. While in the water they feed on aquatic invertebrates, a carnivorous diet that supports this rapid growth. This extended larval stage ends when they metamorphose and leave the pond to begin a terrestrial life.
• When a Jefferson salamander is lifted, tiny pores on its head release a whitish liquid. Researchers think this secretion may act as a scent trail that guides individuals during their migration to breeding ponds. The salamanders usually begin this movement during or immediately after a heavy rain, with males arriving first and females following shortly thereafter. They often share these moist forest habitats with the spotted salamander.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

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