New ambystoma from mexico

[william]

just been browsing amphibiaweb and it seems that there is a new ambystoma species from mexico - ambystoma silvensis. amphibiaweb doesn't give any more info, nor does amnh or google for that matter, does anyone else know anything about it?

 

[joan]

Asked my herp prof. at school today. He hadn't heard the latest news. Keep us posted if you hear any more. I'll see if SSAR has anything.

 

[william]

just made a few inquires and this is what i found:

The new species is from Durango, Mexico and is sympatric with A.
roseaceum. Author is Robert Webb, published in Bull. Maryland
Herpetological Society.

e-mailed to me by D. Wake

 

[joan]

If you could forward it to me? That would be awesome. I don't know much aobut A. roseaceum either.

 

[william]

lol that is the e-mail

 

[joan]

Time to contact the Maryland Herp Society, I suppose

 

[william]

good idea, i'd like to hear what they think.

 

[william]

as you said your interested in rosaceum, here's a page with some good pics on:

http://www.arts.arizona.edu/herp/amro.html

 

[lauren]

I recently examined specimens from Ambystoma silvense. They have large neotenic adults (much larger than the larvae of A. rosaceum) with long, narrow heads and a rounded, blunt snouts. They have very thick external gill stalks, with the middle gill stalk being the longest. They are a yellow-brown color with black spots on their backs, and smaller spots on their sides and around their eyes. The spots are close together, and some are blotchy. Some have spots on their underbellies as well. Their toes are very thick and short.

I have pictures, but unfortunately (as with all my species pictures) they are of dead specimens. There are also transformed adults, but I have not seen them.

(Message edited by Lollia on June 21, 2006)

 

[william]

Hi Lauren,

thanks for this! could we see the photos? even if they are of dead specimens.

cheers!