The streamside salamander (Ambystoma barbouri ) is a species of mole salamander from North America, occurring in several Midwestern states of the US.
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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PolygamyPolygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny....
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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Adults of A. barbouri can be found underground and under rocks or leaves in deciduous forests at moderate elevations. Eggs are generally laid in small streams, less readily in ponds. Larva tend to hide among green algae to protect themselves from predators.
Streamside salamanders have been a subject of interest in showing the effects of gene flow on natural selection. Research shows that salamander larvae who live in the presence of green sunfish are more likely to survive if they are less active and hide more often, however larvae which are born in ephemeral pools are more fit to survive if they are more active, and feed enough to reach metamorphosis before their aquatic habitat dries up. Due to gene flow from the two opposing types of larvae, neither type is able to fully adapt to their environment, and salamanders have a lower overall fitness.
Total streamside salamander population is estimated at above 10,000 individuals, but precise data are lacking. The species is under pressure from habitat destruction (conversion of forests to pasture and residential areas).
