Nature Saskatchewan: Tiger salamanders on the move as juveniles migrate in late summer

Late summer is when the prairie gets busy. Birds flock, mammals gather and insects swarm. One creature on the move this time of year is easy to overlook: the tiger salamander.

The western tiger salamander is Saskatchewan's only salamander species and the top aquatic predator in the province's fishless waterbodies. Young salamanders show a bold black and yellow or cream striped pattern that generally fades and merges with age. Older individuals turn a more uniform olive green to grey.

Stripes on the loose. A western tiger salamander crosses open ground in late summer, the season when juveniles leave their birth ponds and head for new habitat. Saskatchewan is the Canadian stronghold for the species, which is listed as special concern. PHOTO BY M. RANALLI

As an amphibian, the species spends part of its life cycle in water and part on land. It relies on both to breed successfully and survive the winter.

"The tiger salamander larvae are completely aquatic," said Emily Putz, habitat stewardship coordinator at Nature Saskatchewan. "In our prairie pothole wetlands, the larvae and adults both cover an important niche, controlling insect populations in spaces that don't host fish."

That dual life cycle brings threats. Salamanders share water habitat with pest insects such as mosquitoes, which makes them vulnerable to aquatic pesticide control. Their habitat is also disappearing, both the native prairie where adults overwinter and the small wetlands that once dotted the landscape before being drained for agriculture. Salamanders across Canada are also struggling with a virus that is hitting already vulnerable populations.

"Mid to late August hosts its own particular risks to this species," Putz said. "While adults overwinter in small mammal burrows close to their breeding ponds, juvenile salamanders, those that just got their legs and emerged from their birth ponds, migrate in late summer as they look for new areas to call home. They often come in conflict moving across roadways this time of year and are not fast enough to avoid oncoming traffic."

The western tiger salamander remains locally common in Saskatchewan but is listed as a species at risk under the special concern category.

"If it is safe to do so, and you see a salamander crossing the roadway in front of you, slow down and take a minute to avoid them," Putz said. "Saskatchewan is this species' stronghold in Canada, and we want to do everything we can to help them along in their recovery."

Sightings can be reported to Nature Saskatchewan's Stewards of Saskatchewan program, which tracks species-at-risk populations in the province. All sightings are kept private and are never shared without permission. Records help track population and range fluctuations and support recovery work.

For more information on the program or the western tiger salamander, contact Emily Putz at 306-780-9832 or outreach@naturesask.ca.