Dykes, Scott

Tiger Salamanders of Henderson Island

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) are not common in the eastern part of Tennessee. Recently, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) biologists discovered a breeding population in a fish-rearing pond on Henderson Island Wildlife Management Area in Jefferson County, Tennessee.

Dykes, Scott

Snakes of East Tennessee

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Misconceptions about snake species in east Tennessee are common in the general public. For this reason, a poster reflecting snake species found in east Tennessee was designed for display at fairs, public meetings, and in other areas frequented by the public. TWRA coordinated with individual photographers to gain their permission for use of their photos on this poster.

Pokhrel, Lok Raj; Istvan Karsai, Martha E. Meredith and M. Kevin Hamed

Mapping the Skin Pattern of Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum

East Tennessee State University

Animal skin patterns in general seem intricate and diverse, but theoretical studies suggest that most mechanisms generally involved are commonly based on reaction diffusion equations. In early larval salamanders, the different pigmented cells can combine to generate a variety of pigment patterns including vertical bars and horizontal stripes. We are studying the naturally occurring patterns of spot formation in salamanders utilizing a photographic database of nineteen specimens of the Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum).