Tremblay's Salamander is a member of the Ambystomidae. Reaching between 3¾ and 6⅜" (9.3 and 16 cm), the salamander is long and slender with many bluish-white markings. It is dark gray to gray-black and the area around the vent is black. Tremblay's Salamander is a hybrid species of the Jefferson Salamander

Jefferson Salamander

The Jefferson salamander is a mole salamander native to the northeastern United States, southern and central Ontario, and southwestern Quebec. It was named after Jefferson College in Pennsylvania....

 (A. jeffersonianum) and Blue-spotted Salamander

Blue-spotted Salamander

The Blue-spotted salamander, or Ambystoma laterale, is a mole salamander native to the Great Lakes states and northeastern United States, and parts of Ontario and Quebec in Canada. Their range is known to extend to James Bay to the north, and southeastern Manitoba to the west.-Description:These...

s (A. laterale). This hybridization created two all female species- the Tremblay's and Silvery Salamander

Silvery Salamander

The Silvery Salamander is a member of the Mole salamander genus. It is usually between 5.5 – 7.75 in long and is slender with many small silvery-blue spots on its back and sides. It is brownish gray and the area around its vent is grey...

s. These genetic curiosities possess three sets of chromosomes instead of the normal two.

Behaviour

Tremblay's Salamanders breed with male Blue-Spotted Salamanders from March to April. Eggs are laid singly or in small masses of 6-10 eggs on debris at pond bottom. The males chromosome contributed only stimulates the egg's development; its genetic material is ignored. It is not often observed and its diet and lifestyle are unknown.

Habitat & Range

These salamanders live on the bottom of deciduous forests from northern Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, northern Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, northern Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, and southern Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 east through southern Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 to the New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

coastal plain.