adults are almost never seen in open fields and often live in holes that are usually 2 feet from the top. tiger salamanders almost always stay on land as adults, and usually only return to the water to lay eggs. but also they live in both land and water. they also like to swim, even if they are on land. they also are good swimmers. like all ambystomatids, they are extremely loyal to their birthplace, and will travel long distances to go back. however, a single tiger salamander has only a 50% chance of laying eggs more than once in its lifetime. males bump a female to initiate mating, and then deposit a spermatophore on the lake bottom. the female picks up the packet and deposits the now-fertilized eggs on vegetation. large-scale captive breeding of tiger salamanders has not been accomplished, for unknown reasons.