Salamanders are often mistaken for lizards, but the two groups are very different.
Tiger salamanders are a common species found in Indiana. The bright spotting is probably a sign to predators that they taste bad.
Another major difference between lizards and salamanders is their reproduction. Lizards have leathery, partly calcified (shelled) eggs that are typically buried in sand or dirt, but a few species are hatched while still inside the mother before birth. Salamanders, as amphibians, mostly lay their eggs in water where the larvae hatch and after some time usually metamorphose and return to land. Lizards can be found most anywhere on land, while salamanders must stay where they won’t dry out: under logs or leaves, underground or directly in water. We have about six species of lizards and 23 species of salamanders here in Indiana.
The five-lined skink is another Indiana native. Females will aggressively guard their nests, sometimes biting a threatening finger (don’t worry, they’re not venomous).
For more information on how to identify Indiana salamanders and lizards:
Salamanders of Indiana book
Snakes and Lizards of Indiana
Place keywords in the search field at the Purdue Extension resource center for more information: The Education Store.
View Help The Hellbender website for more information on salamanders.
Steve Kimble, Post Doctoral Research Associate
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue
Rod Williams, Associate Professor of Wildlife Science
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue