Search tool	Example of search string in box	What that means to the database
* = "wildcard". Allows a partial letter string to be entered and implies either no or various extension on this letter string	Hyl*	Will find all uses of "Hyl . . ." anywhere in a record: e.g., Hylarana, Hyla, Hylidae, Hylinae, Hylaedactyla.
* = "wildcard". Allows a partial letter string to be entered and implies either no or various extension on this letter string	*Hyla	Will find all uses of ". . . hyla" anywhere in a record: e.g., Hyla, Hylidae, Plectrohyla, Ptychadena hylaea, Adenomera hylaedactyla
	Hyla	Will find all records that contain stand-alone uses of Hyla: e.g., Hyla, Hyla arenicolor
Strings of words without quotation marks	Lithobates pipiens	Interprets this as "Lithobates OR pipiens" so will find the union of all records that contain either "Lithobates" or "pipiens": e.g., Lithobates omiltemanus, Hylorana pipiens
Strings of word with quotation marks	"Lithobates pipiens"	Interprets this as "Lithobates AND pipiens" so will return all records that have the character string "Lithobates pipiens" anywhere within a record: e.g., all members of the Lithobates pipiens complex.
AND statement. Means that the results of the search must include both words held together by an AND	Lithobates AND pipiens	Same as "Lithobates pipiens"
OR statement. Means that the results of the search will all records that have either of the terms held together by an OR	Lithobates OR "Costa Rica"	Recovers all records that contain the word "Lithobates" or "Costa Rica": 402 records inasmuch as this will include all records for the entire amphibian fauna of Costa Rica
Combining Boolean operators within the Basic Search box (AND, OR, NOT, quotation marks)	Lithobates AND "Costa Rica" NOT forreri	Recovers only records that contain the word Lithobates AND "Costa Rica", but excludes any record that contains the word "forreri" in any part of the record: 9 records
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Search tool	Example of search string in box	What that means to the database
* = "wildcard". Allows a partial letter string to be entered and implies either no or various extension on this letter string	Hyl*	Will find all uses of "Hyl . . ." anywhere in a record: e.g., Hylarana, Hyla, Hylidae, Hylinae, Hylaedactyla.
* = "wildcard". Allows a partial letter string to be entered and implies either no or various extension on this letter string	*Hyla	Will find all uses of ". . . hyla" anywhere in a record: e.g., Hyla, Hylidae, Plectrohyla, Ptychadena hylaea, Adenomera hylaedactyla
Single word	Hyla	Will find all records that contain stand-alone uses of Hyla: e.g., Hyla, Hyla arenicolor
Strings of words without quotation marks	Lithobates pipiens	Interprets this as "Lithobates OR pipiens" so will find the union of all records that contain either "Lithobates" or "pipiens": e.g., Lithobates omiltemanus, Hylorana pipiens
Strings of word with quotation marks	"Lithobates pipiens"	Interprets this as "Lithobates AND pipiens" so will return all records that have the character string "Lithobates pipiens" anywhere within a record: e.g., all members of the Lithobates pipiens complex.
AND statement. Means that the results of the search must include both words held together by an AND	Lithobates AND pipiens	Same as "Lithobates pipiens"
OR statement. Means that the results of the search will all records that have either of the terms held together by an OR	Lithobates OR "Costa Rica"	Recovers all records that contain the word "Lithobates" or "Costa Rica": 402 records inasmuch as this will include all records for the entire amphibian fauna of Costa Rica
Combining Boolean operators within the Basic Search box (AND, OR, NOT, quotation marks)	Lithobates AND "Costa Rica" NOT forreri	Recovers only records that contain the word Lithobates AND "Costa Rica", but excludes any record that contains the word "forreri" in any part of the record: 9 records
Printable HELP file

Ambystoma tigrinum (Green, 1825)

Class: Amphibia > Order: Caudata > Family: Ambystomatidae > Genus: Ambystoma > Species: Ambystoma tigrinum

Siren operculata Palisot de Beauvois, 1799, Trans. Am. Philos. Soc., 4: 281. Type(s): Animal figured on figs. 1 and 2 of the original publication; not now known to exist. Type locality: "in a Swamp in Jersey near the Delaware, not very distant from the middle ferry opposite the City of Philadelphia", USA. This name placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Species Names in Zoology by Anonymous, 1963, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 20: 102–104, Anonymous, 1963, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 20:193–194. Synonymy by Smith and Tihen, 1961, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 18: 214. See comment by Fouquette and Dubois, 2014, Checklist N.A. Amph. Rept.: 72.

Proteus neocaesariensis Green, 1818, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1: 358. Type(s): Not designated, although presumably originally in ANSP. Type locality: Not stated, but presumably vicinity of Princeton, New Jersey, USA. This name placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Species Names in Zoology by Anonymous, 1963, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 20: 102–104, Anonymous, 1963, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 20: 193–194. Synonymy with Siren operculata by Say, 1818, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1: 406. Synonymy by Smith and Tihen, 1961, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 18: 214.

Axolotus philadelphicus Jarocki, 1822, Zool. Universal List Animals, 3: 179. Substitute name for Siren operculata Beauvois, 1799. This name placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Species Names in Zoology by Opinion 649, Anonymous, 1963, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 20: 102–104, and Opinion 662, Anonymous, 1963, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 20: 199–200. Synonymy by Smith and Tihen, 1961, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 18: 214.

Salamandra tigrina Green, 1825, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 5: 116. Type(s): Not known to exist; USNM 3970 given as "type" by Yarrow, 1882, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 24: 148, although this specimen is not from the stated type locality. Fouquette and Dubois, 2014, Checklist N.A. Amph. Rept.: 72, conjectured that this specimen is a paratype and cited ASW as the source of this information. Type locality: "near Moore's town [Moorestown, Burlington County,] in New Jersey", USA. Placed on the Official Index of Species Names in Zoology by Anonymous, 1963, Bull. Zool. Nomencl., 20: 102–104, 193–194. See comment under Gyrinus mexicanus.

Salamandra ingens Green, 1831, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 6: 254. Holotype: Not designated although reasonable to assume to be in ANSP; ANSP 1309, according to Fowler and Dunn, 1917, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 69: 8. Type locality: "in a fresh water stream near near New Orleans", Louisiana, USA. Synonymy by Cope, 1868 "1867", Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 19: 179.

Salamandra lurida Sager, 1839, Am. J. Sci. Arts, 36: 323. Holotype: Not stated; USNM 39442, according to Cochran, 1961, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 220: 24 (the 'type' of Amblystoma tigrinum Green' reported by Yarrow, 1882, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 24: 148, USNM 3970, ishe considered a paratype although Tighe, 2022, Smithson. Contrib. Zool., 654: 15–16, noted why this is arguable). Type locality: Not stated, although likely in the vicinity of Detroit, Michigan, USA; see Cope, 1889, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 34: 84 and Dunn, 1940, Copeia, 1940: 154–162. Given as "Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan", USA, by Cochran, 1961, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 220: 24. Antedated (but apparently not preoccupied) by Salamandra lurida Rafinesque, 1832, Atlantic. J. and Friend of Knowledge, Philadelphia, 1: 63, an unassignable nomen nudum according to A.H. Brame, personal commun. Synonymy by Cope, 1868 "1867", Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 19: 179. Tighe, 2022, Smithson. Contrib. Zool., 654: 15–16, briefly discussed the primary and secondary types.

Triton tigrinus — Holbrook, 1842, N. Am. Herpetol., Ed. 2, 5: 79.

Triton ingens — Holbrook, 1842, N. Am. Herpetol., Ed. 2, 5: 85.

Ambystoma tigrina — Baird, 1850 "1849", J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, 1: 284.

Ambystoma lurida — Baird, 1850 "1849", J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, 1: 353.

Ambystoma episcopus Baird, 1850 "1849", J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, 1: 293. Holotype: Not stated but considered to probably have been USNM 43 by Tighe, 2022, Smithson. Contrib. Zool., 654: 8, although the specimen is now lost. Type locality: "Kemper County, Mississippi", USA. Synonymy by Cope, 1868 "1867", Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 19: 179.

Heterotriton ingens — Gray, 1850, Cat. Spec. Amph. Coll. Brit. Mus., Batr. Grad.: 33.

Proteus neocaesareanus — Gray, 1850, Cat. Spec. Amph. Coll. Brit. Mus., Batr. Grad.: 45; Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Grad. Batr. Apoda Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 63. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Siredon harlanii Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854, Erp. Gen., 9: 181. Syntypes: 2 specimens including MNHNP 4777 (the other lost), which was designated lectotype by Gehlbach, 1966, Copeia, 1966: 882. Type locality: "Caroline (U.S.A.)." Type locality stated to be "Spring Lake, New Mexico", USA by Schmidt, 1953, Check List N. Am. Amph. Rept., Ed. 6: 23, apparently in error. Named in synonymy with Axolotes maculatus Owen and Siredon maculatus Baird. Synonymy with Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium by Bishop, 1945, Herpetologica, 3: 24; this revised to a synonym of Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum by Gehlbach, 1966, Copeia, 1966: 882. See comments by Thireau, 1986, Cat. Types Urodeles Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., Rev. Crit.: 32–33.

Ambistoma tigrinum — Jan, 1857, Cenni Mus. Civ. Milano: 55. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Ambystoma bicolor Hallowell, 1858 "1857", Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 9: 215. Holotype: ANSP 10584, according to Fowler and Dunn, 1917, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 69: 8. Type locality: "New Jersey, near Beesley's Point, [Cape May County]", USA. Synonymy by Garman, 1884, Bull. Essex Inst., 16: 36; Fowler and Dunn, 1917, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 69: 8.

Ambystoma ingens — Hallowell, 1858, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, 3: 353.

Amblystoma conspersum Cope, 1859, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 11: 123. Holotype: ANSP 10589 according to Fowler and Dunn, 1917, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 69: 10; Malnate, 1971, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 123: 347. Type locality: "Londongrove, Chester Co[unty]., Pennsylvania", USA. Synonymy by Dunn, 1940, Copeia, 1940: 156.

Amblystoma prosperpine — Baird, 1859, Rep. U.S-Mex. Bound. Surv., 2(Pt. 2-Rept.): 29.

Amblystoma obscurum Baird In Cope, 1868 "1867", Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 19: 192. Holotype: USNM 3994 according to Cochran, 1961, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 220: 5, and Tighe, 2022, Smithson. Contrib. Zool., 654: 6. Type locality: "Fort Des Moines, [Polk County,] Iowa", USA. Synonymy by Garman, 1884, Bull. Essex Inst., 16: 36; Dunn, 1940, Copeia, 1940: 156.

Amblystoma xiphias Cope, 1868 "1867", Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 19: 192. Holotype: USNM 14470 (formerly USNM 4135) according to Cochran, 1961, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 220: 6, and Tighe, 2022, Smithson. Contrib. Zool., 654: 8, who discussed the change in registration number. Type locality: "Columbus, [Franklin County,] Ohio", USA. Synonymy by Dunn, 1940, Copeia, 1940: 156.

Amblystoma tigrinum — Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Grad. Batr. Apoda Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 43.

Amblystoma bicolor — Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Grad. Batr. Apoda Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 42.

Amblystoma conspersum — Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Grad. Batr. Apoda Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 42.

Amblystoma copeianum Hay, 1885, Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., 8: 209. Holotype: USNM 14112 according to Cochran, 1961, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 220: 5, and Tighe, 2022, Smithson. Contrib. Zool., 654: 6. Type locality: "Irvington, [Marion County,] near Indianapolis", USA. Synonymy by Dunn, 1940, Copeia, 1940: 156.

Ambystoma copeanum — Cope, 1889, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 34: 63. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Ambystoma sopeanum — Brimley, 1907, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 23: 153. Incorrect subsequent spelling of Ambystoma copeianum (?)—DRF.

Ambystoma conspersum — Fowler and Dunn, 1917, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 69: 10.

Ambystoma tigrinum — Dunn, 1940, Copeia, 1940: 158.

Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum — Dunn, 1940, Copeia, 1940: 158.

Ambystoma tigrinum proserpine — Smith and Taylor, 1948, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 194: 14.

Ambystoma (Ambystoma) tigrinum — Tihen, 1958, Bull. Florida State Mus., Biol. Sci., 3: 3.

Ambystoma (Heterotriton) tigrinum — Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2012, Alytes, 28: 77–161, by implication.

Common Names

Tiger Triton (Triton tigrinus: De Kay, 1842, Zool. New York, 1(3): 83).

Newjersey Proteus (Proteus neocaesariensis: Green, 1818, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1: 358.

Axolotl (Ambystoma tigrinum: Yarrow, 1876, List Skeletons and Crania: 40).

Sprinkled Salamander (Amblystoma conspersum [no longer recognized]: Yarrow, 1882, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 24: 20).

Smaller Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma conspersum [no longer recognized]: Jordan, 1878, Man. Vert. North. U.S., Ed. 2: 195; Brimley, 1907, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 23: 153).

Beesley's Point Salamander (Amblystoma bicolor [no longer recognized]: Yarrow, 1882, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 24: 20).

Cope's Salamander (Ambystoma copeianum [no longer recognized]: Hay, 1892, Annu. Rep. Dept. Geol. Nat. Res. Indiana for 1891: 434).

Two colored Salamander (Ambystoma bicolor [no longer recognized]: Jordan, 1878, Man. Vert. North. U.S., Ed. 2: 195; Brimley, 1907, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 23: 153).

Ring Necked Salamander (Ambystoma bicolor [no longer recognized]: Fowler, 1907, Annu. Rep. N.J. State Mus. for 1906: 44).

Speckled Salamander (Ambystoma conspersum [no longer recognized]: Fowler, 1907, Annu. Rep. N.J. State Mus. for 1906: 44).

Dusky Salamander (Amblystoma obscurum [no longer recognized]: Yarrow, 1882, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 24: 20).

Yellow Salamander (Amblystoma xiphias [no longer recognized]: Yarrow, 1882, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 24: 20).

Ohio Salamander (Ambystoma xiphias [no longer recognized]: Brimley, 1907, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 23: 153).

Long-tailed Salamander (Ambystoma xiphias [no longer recognized]: Jordan, 1878, Man. Vert. North. U.S., Ed. 2: 196).

Tiger Triton (Ambystoma tigrinum [sensu lato]: Fowler, 1907, Annu. Rep. N.J. State Mus. for 1906: 47; Brimley, 1915, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 30: 4).

Tigerine Salamander (Salamandra tigrina: Gray, 1831, in Cuvier, Animal Kingdom (Griffith), 9—Appendix: 107).

Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum [in the narrow sense]: Jordan, 1878, Man. Vert. North. U.S., Ed. 2: 195).

Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum [in the broad sense of including Ambystoma mavortium and Ambystoma velasci]: Yarrow, 1882, Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus., 24: 20; Davis and Rice, 1883, Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci., 1: 26; Fowler, 1907, Annu. Rep. N.J. State Mus. for 1906: 47; Brimley, 1907, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc., 23: 153; Schmidt, 1953, Check List N. Am. Amph. Rept., Ed. 6: 21; Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 27; Crother, Boundy, Campbell, de Queiroz, Frost, Highton, Iverson, Meylan, Reeder, Seidel, Sites, Taggart, Tilley, and Wake, 2001 "2000", Herpetol. Circ., 29: 18).

Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum [now applying to Ambystoma tigrinum (sensu stricto)]: Bishop, 1943, Handb. Salamanders: 159; Schmidt, 1953, Check List N. Am. Amph. Rept., Ed. 6: 21; Conant, 1975, Field Guide Rept. Amph. E. Cent. N. Am., Ed. 2: 255; Collins, Huheey, Knight, and Smith, 1978, Herpetol. Circ., 7: 4; Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 27; Collins, 1997, Herpetol. Circ., 25: 5; Crother, Boundy, Campbell, de Queiroz, Frost, Highton, Iverson, Meylan, Reeder, Seidel, Sites, Taggart, Tilley, and Wake, 2001 "2000", Herpetol. Circ., 29: 19; Tilley, Highton, and Wake, 2012, in Crother (ed.), Herpetol. Circ., 39: 14; Collins and Taggart, 2009, Standard Common Curr. Sci. Names N. Am. Amph. Turtles Rept. Crocodil., ed. 6: 10; Tilley, Highton, and Wake, 2012, in Crother (ed.), Herpetol. Circ., 39: 24; Powell, Conant, and Collins, 2016, Field Guide Rept. Amph. E. North Am., 4th ed.: 36; Highton, Bonett, and Jockusch, 2017, in Crother (ed.), Herpetol. Circ., 43: 23)

Distribution

Extreme southeastern Manitoba (Canada) through Minnesota and Wisconsin to Michigan, thence south to East Texas; Long Island, New York (USA), south along the Atlantic coastal plain to northern Florida and southeastern Louisiana, excluding the Mississippi embayment and the Appalachian Mountains.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Canada, United States of America, United States of America - Alabama, United States of America - Arkansas, United States of America - Delaware, United States of America - District of Columbia, United States of America - Florida, United States of America - Georgia, United States of America - Illinois, United States of America - Indiana, United States of America - Iowa, United States of America - Kansas, United States of America - Kentucky, United States of America - Louisiana, United States of America - Maryland, United States of America - Michigan, United States of America - Minnesota, United States of America - Mississippi, United States of America - Missouri, United States of America - Nebraska, United States of America - New Jersey, United States of America - New York, United States of America - North Carolina, United States of America - Ohio, United States of America - Oklahoma, United States of America - Pennsylvania, United States of America - South Carolina, United States of America - South Dakota, United States of America - Tennessee, United States of America - Texas, United States of America - Virginia, United States of America - Wisconsin

Comment

See comments under Ambystoma californiense, Ambystoma mavortium, Ambystoma tigrinum, and Ambystoma velasci. Last revised by Irschick and Shaffer, 1997, Herpetologica, 53: 30-49. See account by Petranka, 1998, Salamand. U.S. Canada: 108 (written previously to the partition into Ambystoma mavortium, Ambystoma velasci, and Ambystoma tigrinum) and Lannoo and Phillips, 2005, in Lannoo (ed.), Amph. Declines: 636–639, in the sense of including at least Ambystoma mavortium. Bogart, 2003, in Sever (ed.), Reprod. Biol. Phylogeny Urodela: 109–134, discussed complex hybridization with Ambystoma jeffersonianum, Ambystoma texanum, and Ambystoma laterale. Raffaëlli, 2013, Urodeles du Monde, 2nd ed.: 93, provided a brief account, photo, and map. Altig and McDiarmid, 2015, Handb. Larval Amph. US and Canada: 94–96, provided an account of larval morphology. Bogart, 2019, Herpetologica, 75: 259–267, reviewed the hybrid unisexual populations associated with this species. Everson, Gray, Jones, Lawrence, Foley, Sovacool, Kratovil, Hotaling, Hime, Storfer, Parra-Olea, Percino-Daniel, Aguilar-Miguel, O'Neill, Zambrano, Shaffer, and Weisrock, 2021, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 18 (17: e2014719118): 1–10, included this species in their study of molecular evolution and evolution of life histories in the Ambystoma tigrinum complex. Raffaëlli, 2022, Salamanders & Newts of the World: 137–139, provided an account, summarizing systematics, life history, population status, and distribution (including a polygon map). Bassett, 2023, Reptiles & Amphibians, 30(e18486): 1–18, provided an updated county distribution map for Texas, USA.

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For additional information see AmphibiaWeb report
For information on conservation status and distribution see the IUCN Redlist
For information on distribution, habitat, and conservation see the Map of Life
For related information on conservation and images as well as observations see iNaturalist