Lerma cross-toothed newt

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Lerma cross-toothed newt
Systematics
without rank: Amphibians (Lissamphibia)
Order : Tail amphibian (caudata)
Superfamily : Salamander relatives (Salamandroidea)
Family : Transverse newts (Ambystomatidae)
Genre : True transverse newts ( Ambystoma )
Type : Lerma cross-toothed newt
Scientific name
Ambystoma lermaense
( Taylor , 1940)

The Lerma transverse newt ( Ambystoma lermaense ), also known as the Lermasee transverse newt or Lermasee salamander , is an extremely rare member of the Mexican family of transverse newts (Ambystomatidae) and is related to the axolotl .

description

This species was first described in 1940 by the American herpetologist Edward Harrison Taylor . The Lerma cross-toothed newt is a highly specialized salamander that becomes sexually mature with the remaining body features of the larval stage (compare: neoteny ). The adult animals reach a length of 16.3 to 25.1 centimeters, with half each being accounted for by the head-trunk length and the tail. The head is strongly flattened and has three medium-sized gill tufts on both sides, which are red-violet-brown in color. The body is black with a purple tinge.

Occurrence and endangerment

The home of the species are the Rio Lerma and the Lago de Lerma east of Toluca in the central highlands of Mexico at an altitude of 2800 to 3000 meters above sea ​​level .

However, due to the drainage of swamps, the water surface of the Lermasee decreased so far that only remnants are preserved today. This led to the local extinction of the salamander. Pollution and embankment of the Rio Lerma along the villages of Tenango, Santa Maria, Jajalpa and San Pedro also had catastrophic consequences for other populations, so that the species also disappeared in the Almoloya region, for example. The heavy water pollution also promoted parasite infestation by helminths (intestinal worms), which further increased mortality. Furthermore, the animal was considered a delicacy by the inhabitants of the area around Lago de Lerma and was often offered live at the fish markets in Toluca.

Hopes that the species will occur in other areas of the Toluca Valley have not yet been confirmed. The Lerma cross-tooth newt is listed in Appendix II of the CITES agreement; In 1996 it was also classified by the IUCN as "critically endangered" (threatened with extinction).

literature

  • Hans-Joachim Herrmann: Amphibians in the aquarium. - Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart, 1994. ISBN 3800172879

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