Alligator salamander
| Alligator salamander | ||||||||||||
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Alligator salamander ( Aneides lugubris ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Aneides lugubris | ||||||||||||
| ( Hallowell , 1849) |
The Alligator Salamander ( Aneides lugubris ) is a salamander from the species-rich family of lung lots Salamander (Plethodontidae).
features
On the upper side, the compact alligator salamander has a dark brown color, which is interspersed with small, yellowish light spots. It should also be able to change its color. The ventral side is whitish. The species becomes 15 to 19 centimeters long. The head is - especially in the male - built quite strong, which is emphasized by the well-developed temple muscles. The fuselage has 15 side furrows.
Occurrence
This salamander lives in oak and pine forests in a narrow strip on the west coast of the USA south to the north of the Mexican peninsula Baja California as well as on some offshore Pacific islands. It lives mainly in fallen leaves and under dead wood on the ground, but can also be found sociable in tree hollows. The alligator salamander has even been observed climbing at a height of 18 meters. In dry periods, the animals withdraw into caves and mine shafts.
Reproduction
In late spring or early summer, the female lays 5 to 24 eggs in a hole in the ground or in a tree and guards them. Clutches were found in oak trees at a height of nine meters. The finished salamanders hatch after three to four months. So there is no larval stage in the water.
behavior
If alligator salamanders are touched, they can bite hard. The animals make a squeaking, mouse-like noise.
Duration
The species is not acutely endangered, but the population is declining.
Web links
- Further information in English and a photo
- Aneides lugubris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Parra Olea et al , 2004. Retrieved on 12 May, 2006.