Adult Male, 9,725′, Hidalgo, Mexico
Adult Male, 9,725′, Hidalgo, Mexico
Adult Female, 9,725′, Hidalgo, Mexico
Metamorph (Subadult), 9,725′, Hidalgo, Mexico – Note Lack of Pattern
PLATEAU TIGER SALAMANDER
Ambystoma velasci – Duges 1891
IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
This is the most wide-spread member of the genus Ambystoma in Mexico. It is found from southeastern Chihuahua, and southern Nuevo Leon (possibly also Coahuila) south throughout the Mexican Plateau to northern Michoacan, Jalisco, and Puebla.
HABITAT:
Stream Habitat, 9,725′, Hidalgo, Mexico
Terrestrial Habitat, 9,725′, Hidalgo, Mexico
NATURAL HISTORY:
TAXONOMY:
This species was once considered to be a subspecies of Ambystoma tigrinum.
TYPE:
PERSONAL NOTES:
On my first night in Parque Nacional El Chico, eastern Hidalgo, I was fortunate to have hit the season’s Ambystoma velasci breeding migration. In three passes through the meadow-edge habitat (about 1.5 mi each direction) we happened upon 11 adult and 2 metamorph salamanders, which were crossing in a very cold, light rain (20:00-21:30 hrs). Hyla plicata were abundant on the roads that night, and were heard calling from the meadows; also seen were two DOR Toluca lineata lineata and one Pseudoeurycea cephalica manni, found where the road passed through dense pine forest.
The next day, in the above-pictured stream an enormous (neotenic?) Ambystoma velasci larvae was found. Also, in an old rock quarry just above the meadow we flipped a metamorph Ambystoma from beneath a rock on a wet, nearly vertical face.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
REFERENCES:
Huacúz Elias, D. de. C. 2001. Estado de Conservación del Genero Ambystoma en Michoacán, Mexico. 53 pgs. ISBN 968-817-391-6