Spotted salamander

The spotted salamander is a black amphibian with bright yellow spots, found in forests across eastern North America. It’s one of the few animals known to share its cells with algae, which helps its embryos grow. These salamanders spend most of their time hidden underground, emerging mainly to breed in ponds.

• Official state amphibian of both Ohio and South Carolina.
• Their embryos host tiny algae inside their cells—a rare partnership in vertebrates.
• They live from Canada’s Nova Scotia down to Texas and Georgia.