Twelve novel microsatellite markers for the marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum

We isolated and characterized a total of 12 microsatellite loci from the marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum. Loci were screened in 24 individuals from a single location on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 15, observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.167 to 0.917, and the probability of identity values ranged from 8.5 x 10(-2) to 3.2 x 10(-1). These new loci will provide tools for examining the genetic diversity, structure, and mating system of A. opacum populations.