Marbled salamanders measure up to 4½” long and have white (male) or gray (female) spots and banding on a black body. Like other Ambystoma, they spend most of their lives underground. Unlike spotted salamanders, marbled salamanders migrate in the fall where the females lay eggs under leaves or moss in the dry vernal pools. The female will stay to protect the eggs until the pool fills, at which time the larvae will hatch. In spring, in pools containing both species, you will see marbled salamander larvae at the same time that you will see spotted salamander egg masses. The marbled salamander larvae get a head start on growing when there is less competition for food!^1,2,3

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