The mole salamanders are a group of salamanders endemic to North America.  There is only one genus in the family Ambystomatidae. Terrestrial mole salamanders are identified by having wide, protruding eyes, thick arms, and rounded tails. Most have vivid colors on dark backgrounds, with marks ranging from deep blue spots to large yellow bars depending on the species.

 

Terrestrial adults spend most of their life underground in burrows either of their own makings or abandoned by other animals. Some Northern species may hibernate in these burrows throughout the winter. They live alone and feed on any available invertebrate. Adults spend little time in the water, only returning to the ponds of their birth to breed.

 

Author: Makenna Y