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Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum); ; photo by John Clare on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).
Official State Amphibian of South Carolina
The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) was designated the official state amphibian of South Carolina in 1999 after a campaign by the third grade class at Woodlands Heights Elementary School in Spartanburg. The spotted salamander is also a state symbol of Ohio (all state amphibians).
A stout-bodied amphibian identified by bright yellow round spots in two irregular rows on a dark background, the spotted salamander is 150 to 249 millimeters in length (5 - 10 inches). The spotted salamander is the only amphibian indigenous to the entire state of South Carolina.
Spotted salamanders inhabit deciduous forests with semi-permanent pools about one meter deep - they avoid bottom-lands that are subject to regular flooding and permanent ponds that contain fish.
