Posted by Samy Hann on April 11, 2006

Q: We captured a black salamander with orange spots on its head, yellow spots on body. It's grey underneath. its about 8" long. It has four toes on front feet and five on the back feet. I would like to know what kind of salamander it is and if it is poisonous.

Habitat: pond/lake

State: Missouri

Habitat: pond/lake

A: Thanks for a great description. You found a Spotted Salamander. These rather large, scary salamanders are often regarded as poisonous but are totally harmless! Spotted Salamanders spend most of their time under the ground where they forage for earthworms and other invertebrates. In the spring, they leave their burrows and travel on rainy nights to the very pools where they hatched as babies. Once in these pools they breed and then quickly return to the woods and are not seen again until the next year. Since they are mostly nocturnal salamanders, they don't make very good pets so you may want to return your animal to a local woods and release it. Thanks for asking and next spring maybe you'll see "your" animal again.

John Wiessinger ( April 12, 2006)