Marble cross-tooth newt
| Marble cross-tooth newt | ||||||||||||
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Marble cross-tooth newt ( Ambystoma opacum ) |
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| Ambystoma opacum | ||||||||||||
| ( Gravenhorst , 1807) |
The marble cross-tooth newt ( Ambystoma opacum ), also banded cross-tooth newt , belongs to the family of cross-tooth newts (Ambystomatidae).
description
The animals reach a length of 10 to 12 centimeters and appear stocky. The males are slightly smaller and lighter than the females. The basic color is a black lacquer, which is interrupted by silver-white spots and bands. The coloring of the pattern is more intense in the males than in the females.
Occurrence and way of life
The marble cross-toothed newt occurs in the eastern United States from Long Island in the north to northern Florida in the south; to the west it penetrates into eastern Texas , Louisiana and Lake Michigan . The animals live in wetlands and marshland, where they lead a terrestrial , nocturnal life. They feed on worms , insects , spiders and snails .
Reproduction
Marble cross-toothed newts are usually solitary animals. During the mating season in autumn, the animals migrate to meet. In contrast to other transverse newts, courtship, mating and oviposition take place on land. A female lays around 30 to 200 eggs in moist moss depressions in the immediate vicinity of ephemeral pools. It then guards the eggs until the onset of rains in the winter months, which eventually flood the hollows in the ground with the clutches. The gill-bearing larvae hatch after about 40 to 50 days. After their metamorphosis into land animals, they later no longer go to water. Young animals reach sexual maturity after two to three years.
literature
- Günther Nietzke: tailed amphibians and frogs. 4th edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1989, ISBN 3-8001-7178-3 ( The terrarium animals. Volume 1).
Web links
- Ambystoma opacum in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team, 2004. Retrieved on November 5 of 2009.
- Images on Google Images (without guarantee of correctness!)
- Information about the ecology, keeping and breeding of Ambystoma opacum at www.ag-urodela.de (PDF, 690 kB)
- Further information at www.amphibiaweb.org (English)