A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Amybstoma gracile - Northwestern Salamander
Pg. 2 - Eggs and Aquatic Larvae

Click on a picture for a larger view


These egg masses were found attached to sticks laying in small ponds during February, in King County Washington.

Close-up of egg mass	Egg masses attached to grass in the pond shown to the right.	A breeding pond.

Close-up of freshly laid eggs - 1	Close-up of developing embryos - 2	Close-up of developing embryos - 3

Close-up of developing embryos, ready to hatch - 4	Developing embryo, ready to hatch. The eggs of A. gracile often support the growth of algae inside the inner jelly layer.	Recent hatchling, one day old, aprox. 1.5 cm in length.

	Hatchling, 2 weeks old

Larva, 2 months old		Larva, 5 months old

Larva, 5 months old		Transforming larva with reduced gills, 8.5 months old

Transforming larva with even more reduced gills, 8.5 months old, 3 days later.	Transformed larva, with no gills and large paratoid gland behind the eye, still living in water, 8.5 months old	Transformed larva, in water, with no gills, shedding skin, 8.5 months old

Recently-transformed juvenile, 10.5 months old.

Mature larvae from a lake at 1600 ft. Del Norte County © Alan Barron		Yellow larva, Del Norte County © Alan Barron. Yellow larvae constituted about 5 percent of all the larvae found in one particular location. The others were dark.
Short Videos

	A look at a breeding pond during the February breeding season, including several egg masses, and a paedomorph in the water at night.

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