Adult, 10,050′, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Adult, 10,500′, Tamaulipas, Mexico
GALEANA FALSE-BROOK SALAMANDER
Pseudoeurycea galeanae – Taylor 1941
IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
Pseudoeurycea galeanae is found in the northern Sierra Madre Oriental of Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon as well as on Cerro Pena Nevada in extreme western Tamaulipas, northeast Mexico.
HABITAT:
Pine Meadow Habitat, 10,050′, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Habitat, 10,500′, Tamaulipas, Mexico
This salamander inhabits relatively arid Pine Forests generally above 6,000′ and as high as 12,000′ near the top of Cerro Potosi, Nuevo Leon. Microhabitats include rock talus, roadcuts, downed pine logs, and most commonly within dead Sotol and Agave.
NATURAL HISTORY: This species is active during the summer rainy season (June-September), and probably forages mainly after dark (at least on the surface). There is no aquatic larval stage, and eggs go through direct developement. When harrassed, this species will drop it’s tail.
TAXONOMY: This species has never been confused with any other since it was described in 1941. It is in the Pseudoeurycea cephalica group.
TYPE:
Described as Bolitoglossa galaenae by Taylor (1941). Holotype: FMNH 100113. Type locality: “Near Galeana, Nuevo León, Mexico, 7,000 ft. elevation” (rendered as 15 mi. west of Galeana, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, by Cochran, 1961). The Genus Pseudoeurycea was named by Taylor in 1944.
PERSONAL NOTES: All of my personal experience with this species came from within 24 hours in August, 2004. On the Tamaulipas-Nuevo Leon border between 9,000-10,800′ a companion and I successfully located around 12 animals, most of which were found within the lower axils of dead Agaves. Several individuals were also found beneath small rocks on roadcuts, and one was flipped beneath a small piece of wood in the middle of a large meadow. On Cerro Pena Nevada, Pseudoeurycea galeanae ocurred in microsympatry with the smaller and far more abundant Chiropterotriton cf. priscus.
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