Juvenile and Adult

• Yellow or olive-green stripe from head to tip of tail; may be broken into a series of blotches; rarely absent in juveniles
• Fine white or bluish flecks on sides and legs
• The longest toe on the hind foot is longer than the palm of that foot and noticeably longer than other toes
• Background colour: brownish-grey to black

Body length: up to 15 cm

Call

• Does not broadcast a breeding call

Eggs

• Laid singly or in small globular clusters with each egg having a relatively thick jelly layer

Larva in middle of development

• Three conspicuous feathery external gills on either side of head
• Longest gill stalk shorter than head length
• Gray or light brown, with dark flecks and silvery body

Range

• Mountain passes and associated river valleys along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, including subalpine and alpine areas
• At higher latitudes, found further east into the foothills and Peace River Valley, near Fairview

Subspecies

• Eastern Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum krausei)
• Northern Long-toed Salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum columbianum)

There are two recognized subspecies of the Long-toed Salamander in Alberta. The Northern Long-toed Salamander is found near Banff and in the northern portion of the species’ range, while the Eastern Long-toed Salamander is found in southwestern Alberta. Some hybridization occurs between the two subspecies and genetic analysis is required to reliably tell the two subspecies apart.