Spotted Salamander is native to Virginia. The grow to 6 to 10” and live 20 to 30 years! They are a species of mole salamanders that live their entire lives underground, except for emerging once a year in the spring to head to water to mate and lay eggs. They begin these journeys at ages 2-5.

They exude a toxic slime when threatened, so don’t touch. And they also have a break-away tail to aid in escaping a predator.

They are predators themselves, eating most living things a bit smaller than themself, like worms, insects, and other smaller slamanders.

They are common, but rarely seen due to their reclusive life style. I was lucky to catch this one, my first ever, making their way to our pond in the spring (March 7).

They lay eggs that form a milky white glob a few inches across. Which explains the ones I’ve seen in that area of the pond. I always just thought they were frog eggs that got fungus in them.

For a deeper dive into Spotted Salamander, click this link to     Virginia Dept of Wildlife Resources