Water Requirements for a Four-Toed Salamander

Unlike the other species of salamanders, the four-toed variety only have four toes on each of their four feet. These creatures live primarily across a majority of the eastern half of the U.S. from the Canadian border down to Florida. Few are found west of the Mississippi River. Salamanders don't live in the water as adults, but they do have water requirements throughout their lives.

  1. Adult Habitat

    • Even though four-toed salamanders require a moist body to survive, they don't live in the water. Instead, they prefer to live in dense woodland areas that contain waterways. The dense cover of the trees helps protect the salamanders from the sun, which will dry out their skin. Throughout most of the year, salamanders are typically not seen. They hide in the woodlands to protect themselves until the breeding season, which runs between April and May.

    Breeding Time

    • When it's time for breeding, four-toed salamanders move to the waterways, such as marshland and small pools of water. The salamanders lay their eggs in the moss that grows along the edge of the water. While the eggs mature, the female salamanders stay close by. Once the maturation process is complete, the females move back into hiding to protect their wet skin where the males remain, except during the breeding season, when they're needed for reproduction.

    Young Salamanders

    • When the eggs hatch, the tiny salamanders drop into the water to grow up. This is the primary reason why the females must lay the eggs in the moss growing at the water's edge. If they laid the eggs any further away, the baby salamanders wouldn't find their way to the water and would die. Like most other amphibious animals, salamanders begin their lives as fish. Once they grow, they're able to leave the water and live in the forest as their parents do.

    Type of Waterways

    • Not all waterways are suitable for four-toed salamanders to breed. Any body of water that contains fish is a poor choice, as many of the young would be eaten. Instead, these salamanders prefer quiet pools of water, marshes, swamps and bogs. These types of waterways feature still waters, which provide a good environment in which the young salamanders can grow. They offer ideal growing conditions for the moss in which the females must lay the eggs.