The Tiger Salamander has yellow, tan or olive green spots, blotches or bands giving them tiger like markings on the back and sides of its dark, stocky body. The belly of the Tiger Salamander is often tan or olive in color. The pattern on their skin can often tell you what location the salamander has actually come from. They have small eyes sitting on top of a broad head. They have tubercles on the soles of their feet and 11 to 14 costal grooves.
Males are generally longer than females and they also have shorter tails.
During the breeding season, you will be able to make definite assessments between males and females, the males vent will swell up. Their belly is also whitish in color. As they develop Tiger Salamander larvae become green or gray in color and then begin to develop yellow and tan spots which eventually develop into a pattern like that of their adult counterparts. The Tiger Salamander can be found throughout North America from Alaska to Labrador and all the way to the Mexican Plateau. Tiger Salamanders inhabit woodland areas, orchards, forests, pastures, prairies and cultivated fields in these areas.