User:Froggyloverfan/box of sand 3

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mountain stream siredon
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Division:
Chordata
Class:
Amphibia
Order:
Caudata
Family:
Ambystomatidae
Genus:
Ambystoma
Species:
A. altamirani
Binomial name
Ambystoma altamirani [1]

The mountain stream salamander, also know as mountain stream siredon, is a species of mole salamanders that only lives central state of México.

Discription[edit]

The mountain stream salamander grows to be about 115 mm long. It s tail is slender, has a low fin along the top, and an even smaller fin on the bottom of the tail. The tail is about 50mm. The limbs are also slender. The dorsal surface and the sides are a purplish-black color, while the belly is a a purplish- lavender. The chin and lower surfaces of the limbs are clouded with a light lavender hue. The edges of the lips, tips of the digits, and the fin on the bottom of the tail are a cream color.[2]

Habitat[edit]

The mountain stream salamander lives to the west and south of the Valley of Mexico. It lives is in a altitude range of 2,700-3,200 miles above sea level. The species lives in small streams that flow through high-elevation pine or pine-oak woodland forests. They can also be for in the streams of cleared pastures. Adult mountain stream salamanders live both on land and in streams.[3]

Ecology[edit]

The mountain stream salamander gose through a metamorphic change to become an adult. The salamander starts out as larvae and only being able to live in the stream. As the metamorph they gain limbs and the ability to live on land, as well as lose their gills and fins. Some adults, and larvea, stay in the streams year-long, but other adults go off and live on land. The adults will come back to the stream to breed and lay eggs. After laying the eggs the adult leave them be, showing no sighs on parental carre.[2]

Status[edit]

The species is currently considered a endangered species because of the huge decreases in population over the past three generations. This decrease is caused by changes in its habbitat. Illegal logging in national parks, very heavy recreational tourism, stream pollution and sedimentation, stream diversion, and the introduced predatory fishes, like trout, have all had negative impacts of the mountain stream salamander. But the species is protected by the Mexican law under "Special Protection"(Pr).[3]

See also[edit]

salamander

amphibian

Mexico

Axolotl

Lissamphibia


References[edit]

  1. ^ Frost, Darrel R. 2009. Amphibian Species of the World: an online reference. Version 5.3 (12 February, 2009). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/ American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
  2. ^ a b "40=. Mountain Stream Siredon (Ambystoma altamirani) ." Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2009. <http://www.edgeofexistence.org>.
  3. ^ a b Brad Shaffer, Gabriela Parra-Olea, David Wake, Oscar Flores-Villela 2004. Ambystoma altamirani. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 October 2009.

Category:Mole salamanders Category:IUCN Red List endangered species Category:Fauna of Mexico

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