Isthmura bellii

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P. bellii.jpg

Isthmura bellii
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Isthmura
Species:
I. bellii
Binomial name
Isthmura bellii
(Gray, 1850)
Synonyms
  • Spelerpes belliiGray, 1850
  • Pseudoeurycea bellii(Gray, 1850)

Isthmura bellii, commonly known as Bell's false brook salamander or Bell's salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and occurs mostly along the western and southern margins of the Mexican Plateau, with isolated populations elsewhere. [1] [2]

Contents

Habitat

Its natural habitats are pine and pine-oak forests at high elevation, as well as forest edges and grazed areas. It tolerates habitat modification and is also found in degraded forests, coffee plantations, rural gardens, and close to urbanized and highly disturbed areas. This terrestrial species is typically found beneath logs, rocks, waste timber, brush piles, and within leaf litter. Once common, this species has disappeared from many places. The reasons for this decline are unclear, although habitat loss is occurring throughout its range. [1]

Behavior

Isthmura bellii is terrestrial and nocturnal. [3]

Taxonomy

Isthmura bellii is a member of Plethodontidae, also known as the lungless salamanders. Some research indicates that Isthmura bellii is a species complex, meaning that there are multiple species grouped under this name with unresolved evolutionary relationships. Isthmura sierraoccidentalis was promoted from subspecies to species, creating this complication. Genetic analysis suggests there are many cryptic species within the Isthmura bellii group, and further genetic research will be needed to resolve these relationships. [4]

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Thorius macdougalli, commonly known as MacDougall's pigmy salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico, and is known from Cerro de Humo and Sierra de Juárez. Its natural habitat is pine-oak forest, but it also occurs in degraded habitats. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by clear-cutting and livestock grazing.

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<i>Isthmura</i> Genus of amphibians

Isthmura is a genus of salamanders in the family Plethodontidae. They are endemic to Mexico. The genus, which corresponds to the former "Pseudoeurycea bellii species group" and was first described as a subgenus of Pseudoeurycea, was raised to full generic level in 2015 in order to preserve Ixalotriton and Bolitoglossa while avoiding paraphyly of Pseudoeurycea.

References

  1. 1 2 3 IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Isthmura bellii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T89185854A53981344. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T89185854A53981344.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Isthmura bellii (Gray, 1850)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  3. "AmphibiaWeb - Isthmura bellii". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
  4. Bryson, Robert W.; Zarza, Eugenia; Grummer, Jared A.; Parra-Olea, Gabriela; Flores-Villela, Oscar; Klicka, John; McCormack, John E. (August 2018). "Phylogenomic insights into the diversification of salamanders in the Isthmura bellii group across the Mexican highlands". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 125: 78–84. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.03.024. PMID   29555294.