Compare two species

California Tiger Salamander vs. Western Tiger Salamander

Western (Barred) Tiger Salamanders were brought to the Salinas Valley as fishing bait; they and their hybrids now live among California Tiger Salamanders there. A: Round white or pale yellow spots and bars in the California Tiger Salamander; dark spots, bars or a net in the Western Tiger Salamander. B: Black in the California Tiger Salamander; yellow, olive or tan in the Western Tiger Salamander. Hybrids (Ambystoma californiense x mavortium) look in between and are now widespread in the Salinas Valley and parts of the Central Coast: a tiger salamander there with a yellowish, greenish or olive ground, or big blotches instead of round spots, may be a hybrid. Hybrids are research grade on iNaturalist in California; only genes tell them for sure.

Open this comparison in Wildsight

California Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma californiense

Western Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma mavortium

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

More comparisons

Wildsight identifies the reptiles and amphibians of the United States. Every comparison