| 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) | |
The plateau tiger salamander or Mexican tiger salamander (Ambystoma velasci) is a species of mole salamander in the family Ambystomatidae. It is typically considered endemic to Mexico,[2] although its range might extend to the United States.[1] 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. 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
- ^ a b c d IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Ambystoma velasci". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T62130287A53974804. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ 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.