Tiger Salamanders are members of the family Ambystomatidae, also known as the mole salamanders. This family is native to North America and are characterized by distinct costal groovesDefinition:Grooves along the sides of a salamander’s body that increase the surface area of the skin and creates channels for water to flow and collect on their body. This is important to prevent their skin from drying out. and laterally compressed tails. Tiger Salamanders are the largest terrestrial salamanders after the Giant Salamanders, and are only active at night. In British Columbia, the Western Tiger Salamander can grow to over 30 cm in total length, although most individuals are between 15-20 cm. They have a robust body with 12-14 costal grooves, a broad head with small eyes, and a laterally compressed tail that is especially obvious in males. Tiger Salamander colouration shifts with age, with young individuals displaying light yellow or cream blotches or bars on a dark background, that changes to dark bars or blotches on a light background. Western Tiger Salamanders may also persist in neotenicDefinition:The retention of juvenile characteristics in an adult. In amphibians, particularly amongst salamanders, neotenic individuals mature to a reproductive stage without fully undergoing the process of metamorphosis from aquatic larva to land-based adult. forms, and can grow larger than terrestrial adults. Neotenic individuals are olive to greenish yellow with both front and back legs, a tail fin, and feathery gills.