Ambystoma Laterale and Hybrids?

caudatadude28

caudatadude28

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Hello everyone. I have ambystoma laterale in my area and I dont know if Ambystoma jeffersonianum are in my area but maculatums are. I know the light colored ones must be hybrids of some sort, well I believe strongly that they are. These two are from different localities about 10-20 miles away from each other. They have different coloration and build. Please look and tell me what you think.

Laterale and Hybrid
picture.php


Hybrid
picture.php


There will be more pics later, thankyou for looking.
 
Wow! Very different indeed. I've come across ones just like that AJ. It could be a hybrid its so hard to say, not to mention that Laterale are pretty diverse as far as coloration. A good way to have a better picture of things is to know that location very well. Does that location have any other Mole Salamanders that can hybrid with Laterale? If that location has other Mole Sals then you can make your own conclusion. Lets see what everyone else thinks.
 
Very interesting! I cannot offer an opinion on hybridization in this case.

Call me crazy, but it seems that the one with the lighter coloration seems less developed? As in perhaps it waited a bit longer to morph?

Either way, my there is enough of a visual difference I do not know what to think for certain.

I am interested to read more on this thread as it develops.

:confused:
 
I havent found other mole sals in either localities. I dont think that one is under developed because I found 8 and they all looked like that. Also they are 2-3.5 inches long. Look at the difference in the size of the head, like the size of glands just behind the head, they look bigger on the possible hybrid.
 
It could be a fresh morph. It looks and seems like thats the case,
 
A.laterale can hybridize with A.maculatum and A.jeffersonianum, not to mention that the A.lateraleXA.jeffersonianum hybrids are ridiculously hard to tell apart from Blue-spotteds or Jeffersons. That one certainly does appear different though.
 
That is interesting, great find AJ! It could be an illusion but it seems that compared to the other laterale in the top pic that it is large, as AJ pointed the head seems broader and overall larger too. I dont know if it is the camera or the laterale but it seems to lack blue color in the spots as well as the ventral area. The lack of coloration is interesting, it is light on top and literally white on the bottom.

Keep us posted!

Mitch
 
It has to be noted that variation between specimens can be quite big. We tend to assume that they all look much the same but close inspection of individuals, even from the same localtions, or from the same batches, normally reveals very noticiable differences.
I´m skeptical as to wether these are hybrids or not...only way to know is probably a genetic analysis. They could well be laterale, just a little different.
 
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