Plateau tiger salamander

Plateau tiger salamander
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Ambystomatidae
Genus: Ambystoma
Species: A. velasci
Binomial name
Ambystoma velasci
(Dugès, 1888)
Synonyms

Ambystoma tigrinum velasci (Dugès, 1888)
Ambystoma lacustris Taylor & Smith, 1945

The plateau tiger salamander or Mexican tiger salamander (Ambystoma velasci) is a species of mole salamander in the Ambystomatidae family. It is endemic to Mexico,[2] although its range might extend to the United States.[1] Its natural habitats are grasslands, including sparse forests and semi-arid grasslands. Breeding takes place in a range of aquatic habitats: deep volcanic lakes, shallow vernal pools, artificial cattle ponds, and intermittent, fish-free stream pools. It exhibits facultative paedomorphosis.[1]

Ambystoma velasci is locally threatened by habitat loss due to urbanization, forest clearance, and water extraction, and also by pollution and the introduction of fish and frogs (Lithobates catesbeianus).[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Brad Shaffer, Gabriela Parra-Olea, David Wake, Paulino Ponce-Campos (2004). "Ambystoma velasci". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2014). "Ambystoma velasci (Dugès, 1888)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
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