Wisconsin Has 7 Salamander Species — Did You Know?
Special | 1m 16sVideo has Closed Captions
Spot four amazing salamander species living in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Forest.
Wisconsin is home to seven salamander species, and we found four of them at Kettle Moraine State Forest. From spotted to four-toed, these incredible amphibians breathe through their skin and depend on Wisconsin's wild vernal pools to survive. Look for them on Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures: Wild Waters — coming March 2027 from PBS Wisconsin.
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Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Wisconsin Has 7 Salamander Species — Did You Know?
Special | 1m 16sVideo has Closed Captions
Wisconsin is home to seven salamander species, and we found four of them at Kettle Moraine State Forest. From spotted to four-toed, these incredible amphibians breathe through their skin and depend on Wisconsin's wild vernal pools to survive. Look for them on Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures: Wild Waters — coming March 2027 from PBS Wisconsin.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures
Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
- Narrator: Did you know that Wisconsin is home to seven different species of salamander?
That's right.
Even though you might not be used to seeing these lizard-like amphibians, they're all around us.
We found four species on a trip to Kettle Moraine State Forest just north of West Bend.
The spotted salamander, the blue-spotted salamander, the four-toed salamander, and the eastern red-backed salamander, protecting their newly-laid eggs.
You see, salamanders rely on vernal pools, which are a temporary wetland that fills up in the spring and dries out in the summer.
They need these pools to reproduce, as there aren't any predators like there might be in a lake.
Once salamanders are fully grown, these special animals still rely on wetlands for a habitat, as they breathe through their skin instead of having lungs.
You heard that right!
Salamanders can actually absorb water and oxygen through their skin, which means they love to live in damp places close to water.
Vernal pools, dense moss, and rotten logs are like a five-star hotel for just about every salamander.
That makes Kettle Moraine State Forest a great place for salamanders to live and thrive, right in the heart of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures: Wild Waters coming March 2027 to PBS Wisconsin.
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Wisconsin's Scenic Treasures is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin