Blue-Spotted Salamander vs Cramp Balls

Ambystoma laterale compared with Daldinia concentrica

Key Differences

Blue-Spotted Salamander is Least Concern while Cramp Balls is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blue-Spotted Salamander	Cramp Balls
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Xylariales (Xylariales)
Family	Ambystomatidae	Hypoxylaceae
Genus	Ambystoma	Daldinia
Species	Ambystoma laterale	Daldinia concentrica

Conservation Status

Blue-Spotted Salamander

LC — Least Concern

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blue-Spotted Salamander	Cramp Balls
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.

Cramp Balls

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.