Ambystoma macrodactylum
Long Toed Salamander
Family. Ambystomatidae
Distribution: SE Alaska to Northern California. Montana, Idaho, and endangered populations in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, CA.
Habitat. Ubiquist in Western North America. Very adaptable to habitat requirements. Can be found at low/high elevations. All vegetation types, oak woodlands, coniferous forests, prairie vegetation, disturbed pastures, alpine meadows, sagebrush semi-desert, etc.
Behaviour and breeding. Adults are terrestrial. Active all year round except when temperature drops below freezing point. Pond breeder. Breeding migrations from late summer to late spring. Time of migration depends on climate. Egg deposited singly or in masses are attached to aquatic plants or any other solid substrate. Larvae of pond type.
Systematics. Described by Baird in 1849 as Ambystoma macrodactyla on the basis of a small series of specimens brought from Astoria, Oregon, by J.K. Townsend, M.D. Here is the original description published in 1859 by Baird in "Revision of
the North American Tailed-Batrachia, with descriptions of new genera and species-Description of four new species of North America Salamanders, and one new species of Scink", J.Acad.Nat.Sci.Phila.,1(4):281-292.
"AMBYSTOMA MACRODACTYLA, Baird. Scull longer than broad. Toes long, unwebbed. A broad dorsal reddish brown stripe. Beneath dark brown, unspotted.
Specimens in Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Brought from Astoria, Oregon, by J. K. Townsend, M. D.
Body rather more slender than in the other species of Ambystoma ; the proportions nearly those of Desmognathus fuscus,(Raf.) The colors somewhat like those of a badly preserved Plethodon erythronotus, (Green.) Ground color dark brown. A broad dorsal stripe, originally, it is probable, of a chestnut brown color, now very obscure. Sides sprinkled with greyish. The brown of the sides becomes more concentrated towards the vertebral line. Tail sub-round, not compressed. Largest specimen
about 2 3/4 inches. From the snout to insertion of the hind legs 1 1/2 inches."
There are five recognized ssp: A. m. macrodactylum, A. m. columbianum, A. m. croceum, A. m. krausei, and A. m. sigillatum.
Disjunct coastal endemic populations of the Santa Cruz Long Toed Salamander,
A. m. croceum are fully protected under CA state laws. (Link courtesy of Mike Westphal).
The photograph. Based on a A. m. macrodactylum from Oregon.
My friend, Russell Kurtz, has the story: " Adult animals were observed in a local pond. Fairly open area previously used as a sheep pasture, floods every year to the depth of maybe three feet. There is also a creek that runs year round just to the north of this swampy area.
Next to our Church there is a drainage ditch were we observed most of the larvae and eggs of macrodactylum. A lot of the country roads have ditches along them to drain off the rain water and it seems that wherever there is an area that is deeper or will retain water for any length of time that the Pacific treefrogs and the Long Toed Salamanders will utilize these for breeding".
Please e-mail me if interested in a list of references on A. macrodactylum.
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