Eastern Tiger Salamander - Illinois

Several Native American cultures were known for the large mound platforms they constructed. These mounds served primarily as foundations for erecting important community buildings. The Kincaid Mounds of Illinois date from 1050 to 1400 and featured some of the largest mounds of the Mississippian Culture.

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Ambystoma tigrinum - The markings of an eastern tiger salamander varies in coloration from one region to another; the more common color being brown and bright yellow markings resembling a tiger. They are the largest terrestrial salamander in the world, growing to maximum lengths of 35 centimeters. The tiger salamander is born in an aquatic environment and returns to the water only for breeding purposes. Adult tiger salamanders are rarely seen since they only venture out of their burrows at night to forage for food.

Coastal Giant Salamander - Washington

Mount Rainer, at 4,392 meters, is the tallest peak in the Cascade Mountains. The Cascades stretch from Southern British Columbia to Northern California and feature several volcanos. Aside from Rainer, the range includes Baker, Adams, Cayley, Hood, and Mount St. Helens, the site of a catastrophic 1980 eruption.

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Dicamptodon tenebrosus - Coastal giant salamanders are native to British Columbia, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. They can grow up to 34 centimeters, with the tail taking up about 40% of the total length. It is found along fresh water lakes, rivers, and marshes throughout the temperate forests of the Pacific Northwest. The coastal giant salamander has four toes on its front legs and five on the back legs. It is also one of the few salamander able to produce sounds to help ward off potential predators.

Salamanders of the United States

There are three orders in the Amphibia Class: Anura (frogs and toads), Gymnophiona (caecilians), and Caudata (salamanders). The Caudata order contains about 600 species of salamanders with each family having diverse physical characteristics ranging from the number of limbs, reproduction methods, and breathing abilities.

Salamanders have an aquatic beginning and are reliant on gills for breathing, but most lose their gills during the transition from the larvae to adult stage. The lungs of cold-climate salamanders are typically small and smooth-lined; those living in warmer climates have larger and convoluted lungs. In one species, Amphiuma, a pair of gills is held over from the metamorphosis process and continues to function in tandem with a full set of lungs. In the Plethodontidae family, gills and lungs are absent. Oxygen is taken in through the permeable skin and specialized tissue linings of the mouth.

Salamanders, with their slow gait and soft bodies, have the initial appearance of being easy targets for predators, but the skin secretion of most salamanders serves as their primary defense. The slimy mucus is either toxic or at least able to leave a foul and long lasting aftertaste to discourage any predator from further or future attempts. 

The salamanders depicted are the clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus), the green salamander (Aneides aeneus), and the mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum).

Vietnamese Salamander - Viet Nam

The Tam Đảo National Park, located in the mountainous region 85 kilometers north of Hanoi, was created in 1996. The park hosts 20 peaks exceeding 1,000 meters in height; Tam Đảo at 1,592 meters is the tallest. It is a small park consisting of 370 square kilometers, but is home to almost 3,000 plant and animal species, some extremely rare.

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Paramesotriton deloustali - The Vietnamese salamander, known locally as Tam Đảo, is found only in Viet Nam and shares its name with the Tam Đảo National Park. The upper body is dark grey to black and blends with the dark forest floor. The abdomen is a strikingly bright reddish-orange. It prefers slow moving streams or deep ponds located in moist montane forests. Vietnamese salamanders forge during the day for insects, tadpoles, worms, and will also eat moss. Habitat loss and poaching are pushing the Vietnamese salamander to the brink of extinction.