Yellow-Spotted Salamanders are found on the Eastern half of the North American continent and present in all Maritime Provinces. The extent of their range is as far north as Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula and as far south as the US States of Georgia and Texas. The populations furthest into the continent's interior are found surrounding Lake Superior. Their prefered habitats are Temperate Forests, especially ones with plenty of Deciduous Trees as they prefer to hide under damp leaf litter. As long as there is sufficient water for breeding and conditions are damp enough, Yellow-Spotted Salamanders can also be found in Mixed and Boreal Forests. In addition to leaf litter, Salamanders also like to hide in and around logs and rocks. Most of the time, Salamanders bury themselves in the soil, primarily emerging at night to forage for food

As larvae, Salamanders will predate on anything small enough to fit into their mouths, primarily aquatic invertebrates such as insect larvae and crustaceans. Larger larvae can also predate on other amphibian larvae, and can even cannibalize smaller members of their own species. As adults, they will predate on an array of different invertebrates, whether they be worms, gastropods or arthropods such as insects, spiders and centipedes. On rare occasions, Salamanders will even predate on smaller salamander species

The Breeding season for Salamanders begin in the early spring once the snow has melted. To ensure that their eggs are not consumed by predators, Salamanders will use Vernal Pools, bodies of water that are only present during the Spring season, for laying their eggs. Male Salamanders will arrive at these pools first, releasing sacs of sperm known as Spermatophores, which the females use to fertilize their eggs. The males will release multiple spermatophores to increase their reproductive success, and female Salamanders will take in spermatophores from multiple males to increase their reproductive success as well. Once the eggs are fertilized, the females will lay an average of 200 eggs, separated into different clumps and covered in a thick jelly. These clumps of eggs are attached to underwater objects such as submerged branches or plant material. Once laid, neither parents care for the eggs, leaving the larvae to fend for themselves once they hatch. The eggs have a long incubation period, requiring 4 to 7 weeks. Factors that can influence the time it takes for the egg to incubate include water temperature and the amount of exposure to the sun. The eggs eventually hatch into larvae that begin their life confined to the water. 2 to 4 months after hatching, the larvae will metamorphose into a juvenile Salamander, with lungs and legs powerful enough to support themselves on land. These juveniles gain their signature spots a week after metamorphosing. It will take 2 to 3 years for the juveniles to sexually mature into an adult, but can be longer in colder climates. The majority of larval Salamanders do not survive long enough to begin metamorphosing, either sucumbing to predation, disease, or dying from desiccation due to their Vernal pool drying up. Predators that both larvae and eggs must contend with include crayfish, fish, wading birds, tadpoles and newts. If a Salamander can survive to adulthood, then they can live up to 20 or 30 years. Despite having a much higher survival rate than their larval counterparts, adults can still be predated on by skunks, raccoons and reptiles such as turtles and snakes.

Adult Salamanders hunt for prey using their sense of sight and smell, with low-light conditions being the most optimal hunting conditions. They use their sticky tongue when catching prey, making escape more challenging once ensnared in the Salamander's jaws. When threatened, Salamanders will secrete a viscous toxic fluid from their back and tails with the intent of detering whatever is threatening it. The signature yellow spots on the salamander act as a warning signal to deter predators before having to resort to their toxins