What is the common name of Ambystoma tigrinum?

The common name of Ambystoma tigrinum is the tiger salamander.

The tiger salamander is a large mole salamander native to North America. Its scientific name combines the genus Ambystoma with the species epithet tigrinum, reflecting the animal’s often striped, spotted, or blotched patterning. It is also commonly called the eastern tiger salamander, especially when distinguishing it from closely related tiger salamander populations and species.

Adults are mostly terrestrial and spend much of their time in burrows, emerging during damp conditions or to breed. Reproduction usually takes place in ponds and other fish-free wetlands, where aquatic larvae develop before metamorphosing. Some populations include neotenic individuals that retain larval features and remain aquatic into adulthood, though this is not the usual form.

Tiger salamanders are opportunistic predators. Their diet can include insects, earthworms, snails, frogs, and smaller salamanders; cannibalism may occur when food is scarce or competition is intense. They are easily confused with other Ambystoma species, such as the spotted salamander, but Ambystoma tigrinum is specifically the tiger salamander.