Description
Ambystoma laterale is a slender salamader that resembles the species A. jeffersonianum, although the former exhibits a smaller size (7.6-12.9 cm in length), narrower snout and darker color. A. laterale typically possesses a dorsal coloring of grayish-black to bluish black. The lower sides of this species may also display large bluish-white flecks. The stomach is usually fleckled and lighter in color, with the ventral mostly black.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Canada, United States

U.S. state distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin

Canadian province distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec

View distribution map using BerkeleyMapper.

The species is concentrated near the Great Lakes, and ranges along the Atlantic from New Jersey to Quebec, Canada. The deciduous forests are ideal locations for observing A. laterale in its natural habitat.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
The breeding season lasts from March to April of each year, where the females lay eggs in either masses of 6-10 at a time, or singly. The eggs are usually laid on debris located at the bottom of ponds.

Comments
This species account was based off the information in the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians (1996) .

References

Behler, J.L. and King, F.W. (1996). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Knopf, New York, NY.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2003 Ambystoma laterale: Blue-spotted Salamander <http://amphibiaweb.org/species/3836> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jul 17, 2018.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2018. <http://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 17 Jul 2018.

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