Ambystoma barbouri

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 barbouri

Species Authority:

Kraus and Petranka, 1989

Common Name/s:

English

–

Streamside Salamander

Taxonomic Notes:

This species was formerly included in Ambystoma texanum (Kraus and Petranka 1989).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Near Threatened ver 3.1
Year Published:	2004
Assessor/s:	Geoffrey Hammerson
Reviewer/s:	Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Near Threatened because its Extent of Occurrence is probably not much greater than 20,000 km2, and the extent and quality of its habitat are probably declining, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in the USA in central Kentucky, south-western Ohio, south-eastern Indiana, and also Tennessee (Scott et al. 1997). There are isolated populations in Livingston County, Kentucky, and westernmost West Virginia. Kraus and Petranka (1989) and Kraus (1996) provide further information on this species' range.
Countries:	Native: United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Its total adult population size is unknown.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species can be found in upland deciduous forest in regions of undulating topography, mostly in areas with limestone bedrock, although some are found in non-calcareous regions with sandstone and shale (Kraus and Petranka 1989). Adults are usually found underground, under rocks, leaves, and logs. This species breeds most frequently in first and second order streams, and typically deposits eggs singly on undersides of flat rocks in pools and (less often) in faster-flowing regions. It less frequently breeds in ponds. Its breeding is most successful in streams that are seasonally ephemeral, have natural barriers (such as cascades and waterfalls) that prevent the upstream movement of predatory fish, and that have large flat rocks for oviposition (Kraus and Petranka 1989). This species might be restricted to upper portions of breeding streams because of fish predation (Petranka 1983). Larvae in stream pools in Kentucky were most abundant among filamentous green alga (Cladophora), which provides protection from predators and supports prey organisms (Holomuzki 1989).
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

This species can be found in upland deciduous forest in regions of undulating topography, mostly in areas with limestone bedrock, although some are found in non-calcareous regions with sandstone and shale (Kraus and Petranka 1989). Adults are usually found underground, under rocks, leaves, and logs. This species breeds most frequently in first and second order streams, and typically deposits eggs singly on undersides of flat rocks in pools and (less often) in faster-flowing regions. It less frequently breeds in ponds. Its breeding is most successful in streams that are seasonally ephemeral, have natural barriers (such as cascades and waterfalls) that prevent the upstream movement of predatory fish, and that have large flat rocks for oviposition (Kraus and Petranka 1989). This species might be restricted to upper portions of breeding streams because of fish predation (Petranka 1983). Larvae in stream pools in Kentucky were most abundant among filamentous green alga (Cladophora), which provides protection from predators and supports prey organisms (Holomuzki 1989).

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The main threats to this species have been destruction of native forests and their replacement with pastureland or residential areas (Petranka 1998). Stream drying, flooding, and predation were observed to be important sources of mortality in Kentucky by Petranka (1984b).

Major Threat(s):

The main threats to this species have been destruction of native forests and their replacement with pastureland or residential areas (Petranka 1998). Stream drying, flooding, and predation were observed to be important sources of mortality in Kentucky by Petranka (1984b).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Additional protection of forested ravines is needed as a conservation measure for this species in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, which is undergoing rapid urbanization.

Conservation Actions:

Additional protection of forested ravines is needed as a conservation measure for this species in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, which is undergoing rapid urbanization.

Citation:	Geoffrey Hammerson 2004. Ambystoma barbouri. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
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