NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Ringed Salamander
Ambystoma annulatum Cope, 1886
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The ringed salamander (Ambystoma annulatum) is a species of mole salamander native to hardwood and mixed hardwood-pine forested areas in and around the Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. This species of salamander has slender body, small head, and long tail. They are usually found to have various dorsal color from dark gray to dark brown. Various close relatives are found such as marbled salamander (A. opacum) and spotted salamander (A. maculatum). This species of salamander has cannibal behavior especially those in large body size.
It is found in damp, forested areas, usually under leaves, rotting logs, or in abandoned ground holes of other organisms, near shallow ponds. Highly fossorial (adapted to digging), adults are often found in subterranean refuges. This salamander is increasingly rare and perhaps endangered. This is likely a result of its restricted range and specific breeding habit needs. The world population is thought to be around 100,000 animals. Its conservation status is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. This salamander can perform embryotic learning and social-facilitated learning.
Wikipedia contributors, Ringed salamander; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:38:17.843365+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ambystoma annulatum Cope, 1886
- Name authority
- Cope, 1886
- Common name
- Ringed Salamander
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Caudata
- Family
- Ambystomatidae
- Genus
- Ambystoma
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderCaudata
- familyAmbystomatidae Gray, 1850
- genusAmbystoma Tschudi, 1838
- speciesAmbystoma annulatum Cope, 1886
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Ambystoma. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Ambystoma ordinarium Taylor, 1940 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ambystoma altamirani Dugès, 1895 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ambystoma amblycephalum Taylor, 1940 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ambystoma andersoni Krebs & Brandon, 1984 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Streamside SalamanderAmbystoma barbouri Kraus & Petranka, 1989 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Reticulated Flatwoods SalamanderAmbystoma bishopi Goin, 1950 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| California Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma californiense Gray, 1853 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ambystoma dumerilii (Dugès, 1870) | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northwestern SalamanderAmbystoma gracile (Baird, 1859) | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lake Lerma SalamanderAmbystoma lermaense (Taylor, 1940) | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| AxolotlAmbystoma mexicanum (Shaw & Nodder, 1798) | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ambystoma silvense Webb, 2004 | AmbystomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Linguaelapsus annulatum (Cope, 1886) (Cope, 1886) | synonym |
| Linguaelapsus annulatus (Cope, 1886) (Cope, 1886) | synonym |
| Amblystoma annulatum Cope, 1886 Cope, 1886 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=173594 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:CQ3D. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.