Blue-Spotted Salamander vs Common Jelly Spot

Ambystoma laterale compared with Dacrymyces stillatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue-Spotted Salamander	Common Jelly Spot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Dacrymycetes (Dacrymycetes)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Dacrymycetales (Dacrymycetales)
Family	Ambystomatidae	Dacrymycetaceae
Genus	Ambystoma	Dacrymyces
Species	Ambystoma laterale	Dacrymyces stillatus

Conservation Status

Blue-Spotted Salamander

LC — Least Concern

Common Jelly Spot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue-Spotted Salamander	Common Jelly Spot
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blue-Spotted Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in United States.

Common Jelly Spot

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

Blue-Spotted Salamander

The Blue-Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale) is a species in the genus Ambystoma. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Common Jelly Spot

<em>Dacrymyces stillatus</em>, commonly known as the common jelly spot, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Dacrymycetaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with records from five European countries and North America. The species typically grows on damp, dead, or decaying wood, particularly coniferous timber, forming small, gelatinous, orange-yellow cushions or pustules on the substrate surface. As a saprotrophic wood-decay fungus, it contributes to nutrient cycling and the decomposition of woody material in temperate forest ecosystems. The bright gelatinous fruiting bodies make it a conspicuous species when encountered on wet wood in cool, humid conditions. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.