Blue-spotted Salamander Ambystoma laterale  Hallowell, 1856
An adult specimen from Sheyboygan County, Wisconsin Image © Suzanne L. Collins, 2001
Taxonomic Comments:
Demastes, J. W., J. M. Eastman, J. S. East, and C. Spolsky (2007. Phylogeography of the Blue-spotted Salamander, Ambystoma laterale, (Caudata: Ambystomatidae). American Midland Naturalist 157(1): 149-161), using mtDNA , demonstrated that there are two distinct populations of this salamander, but did not name them as distinct species, presumably pending the acquisition of additional samples and the inclusion of nucleic DNA into the analysis.
Etymology:1
	Latin - laterale - pertaining to the side - refers to the blue spots on the side
Original Description:2
	Ambystoma laterale Hallowell (1856, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 8: 6). Holotype: ANSP 1377, according to Fowler and Dunn, 1917, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 69: 10; Malnate, 1971, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 123: 348. Type locality: "Marquette, [Marquette County, Michigan, USA,] southern border of Lake Superior."
Distribution:
	Northern lake plains of Indiana, also in Minnesota, Massachusetts, northern Illinois, southeastern Wisconsin, southern Michigan and in Canada from Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick west to the Manitoba border; in various hybrized populations (including the synonyms "Ambystoma platineum" and "Ambystoma tremblayi") from western Wisconsin and central Indiana east to southern Quebec, northern New Jersey and western Massachusetts and near Cincinnati, Ohio.
References:
	See account by Uzzell (1967, Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 48.1-2). Some hybrid swarms (as "Ambystoma platineum") discussed by Uzzell (1967, Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 49.1-2), who also discussed difficulties with determining types. Populations of "Ambystoma tremblayi" discussed by Uzzell (1967, Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 50.1-2).
1.	Data Modified From: Translations of the Scientific Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America, Ellin Beltz.
2.	Data Modified From: Citations for the Original Descriptions of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. SSAR Herpetological Circular 24. Ellin Beltz, 1995.