The tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), also known as the eastern tiger salamander, is a species of mole salamander and one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America. Their habitats range from woodlands crowded with conifer and deciduous trees to grassy open fields. These amphibians are secretive creatures who spend most of their lives underground in burrows, making them difficult to spot. One significant requirement these salamanders need to thrive is loose soil for burrowing. After metamorphosis, adult tiger salamanders will migrate to a new territory. Females have been documented to migrate further than males, and larger individuals will migrate further than smaller ones. Tiger salamanders are almost entirely terrestrial as adults, and usually only return to the water to breed. The ideal breeding condition for tiger salamanders ranges from wetlands, such as cattle ponds and vernal pools, to flooded swamps. The colonization of wetlands by tiger salamanders has been positively related to the area, depth, and forest cover of the wetlands.
Predators include herons, terns, raccoons, skunks, badgers, snakes, bobcats, and owls. Larvae are eaten by aquatic insects, other salamander larvae and snakes. Tiger salamanders have a poisonous tail gland that produces a toxic, milky secretion for self-defense. When threatened, they will curl up their head and tail to display this gland.