Ambystoma andersoni

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AMPHIBIA	CAUDATA	AMBYSTOMATIDAE

Scientific Name:

Ambystoma andersoni

Species Authority:

Krebs and Brandon, 1984

Common Name/s:

Spanish

–

Achoque (local Mexican Name), Ajolote

Taxonomic Notes:

Based on both allozymes and mtDNA, this is one of the more differentiated of the Mexican Ambystoma species; morphologically, it has evolved a superficially similar body plan to the distantly related A. dumerilii from Lago Pátzcuaro (H.B. Shaffer pers. comm.).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Critically Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2004
Assessor/s:	Brad Shaffer, Oscar Flores-Villela, Gabriela Parra-Olea, David Wake
Reviewer/s:	Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Critically Endangered because its Extent of Occurrence is less than 100 km2 and its Area Of Occupancy is less than 10km2, all individuals are in a single sub-population, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of the lake habitat around the city of Zacapu.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is known only from one lake (Lago Zacapu) and its surrounding streams, in north-western Michoacan, Mexico, at 2,000m asl.
Countries:	Native: Mexico
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Although it is not rare, it is probably declining.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is paedomorphic, and requires a clean, cool aquatic habitat. It is found only in Lago Zacapu and the spring-fed streams and canals associated with the lake. They do not metamorphose in nature, and individuals that have been artificially induced to metamorphose with thyroid hormone in the laboratory do not thrive. Their diet consists largely of snails and crawfish.
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The major threat to this species is the pollution of the lake, although the animals are also heavily harvested for food, and predatory fish have been introduced into the lake, which might well pose a major problem for the species.

Major Threat(s):

The major threat to this species is the pollution of the lake, although the animals are also heavily harvested for food, and predatory fish have been introduced into the lake, which might well pose a major problem for the species.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It does not occur in any protected area. However, this is a species that could recover its numbers if the lake can be kept clean and restored. Conservation and restoration of its habitat is therefore urgent. This species can be bred in laboratory conditions, and so captive animals could be a source of new individuals to repopulate the natural habitats. Studies are needed to evaluate the sustainability of the harvest as well as the impacts of introduced predatory fishes. This species is protected under the category Pr (Special protection) by the Government of Mexico.

Conservation Actions:

It does not occur in any protected area. However, this is a species that could recover its numbers if the lake can be kept clean and restored. Conservation and restoration of its habitat is therefore urgent. This species can be bred in laboratory conditions, and so captive animals could be a source of new individuals to repopulate the natural habitats. Studies are needed to evaluate the sustainability of the harvest as well as the impacts of introduced predatory fishes. This species is protected under the category Pr (Special protection) by the Government of Mexico.

Citation:	Brad Shaffer, Oscar Flores-Villela, Gabriela Parra-Olea, David Wake 2004. Ambystoma andersoni. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2013.
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