| Plateau tiger salamander | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| 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) Contents | |
The plateau tiger salamander or Mexican tiger salamander (Ambystoma velasci) is a species of mole salamander in the family Ambystomatidae. [1]
The plateau tiger salamander exhibits facultative paedomorphosis. [1] The adult coloration is olive green across the backs with dark spots, and white or cream across the underside of the abdomen. [2] This species has external gills similar to those on other aquatic salamander species. [2] However, this salamander can undergo metamorphosis again in adulthood, via a complex genetic mechanism in response to its environment. [3] During this change, the salamander shrinks, loses its external gills and the legs elongate. [3]
The plateau tiger salamander is typically considered endemic to Mexico, [4] although its range might extend to the United States. [1] They have a wide geographic distribution, ranging from Chihuahua in the north, to Durango in the south, and to Jalisco in the west. [5] Its natural habitat is grassland, including sparse forest and semiarid grassland. Breeding takes place in a range of aquatic habitats: deep volcanic lakes, shallow vernal pools, artificial cattle ponds, and intermittent, fish-free stream pools. In the highlands of central Mexico, the plateau tiger salamander inhabits ponds and small streams in tropical deciduous forests or in pine oak forests. [5]
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] Overall the main treat to the species is loss and destruction of continuous habitats via human activity. The main threats being logging, and human caused forest fires. [5] It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN on the IUCN Red List, however the plateau tiger salamander is under a special protection category under Mexican law. [5] Out of mammalian, avian, and herpetofauna species, herpetofauna receive the least attention in conservation studies. [6]
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