Amphibian · GBIF taxon 2431972
Anderson's Salamander
Ambystoma andersoniAlso known as Zacapu Dumeril's Salamander, Achoque de Zacapu
Anderson's salamanders are fully aquatic, neotenic amphibians that retain their feathery external gills and broad swimming fins throughout adulthood. Distinctive for their bright orange-brown coloration peppered with dense black spots, they spend their lives prowling muddy substrates and dense submerged vegetation. Confined entirely to a single high-altitude spring-fed lake system in Michoacan, Mexico, they face acute peril from water diversion and introduced predatory fish.
AquaticEndemicNocturnal
Licensed referenceArican / CC BY 3.0 · cc-by
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Critically EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXCritically EndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Freshwater snails
- Midges and insect larvae
- Amphipods
Predators
- Common carp
- Tilapia
- Herons
ThreatsSevere habitat degradation, agricultural water extraction, and predation by introduced carp and tilapia.
HabitatsHigh-elevation freshwater spring-fed lake and adjacent slow-moving canals.
Life span10–15 years
Classification
- FamilyAmbystomatidae
- SpeciesAmbystoma andersoni
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless and safe to observe from a respectful distance.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by bright orange or yellowish-brown skin densely covered in black leopard-like blotches and bushy red-brown gills.
- Support conservation
- Do not capture, handle, or stir up sediment in their aquatic habitat; support local wetland conservation initiatives.
Responsible observation
- Water visibility: Look for them resting among submerged macrophyte beds in clear spring water.
- Do not disturb: Never enter shallow shoreline beds or handle wild individuals.
- Aquarium observation: Responsible captive breeding programs often provide the safest way to view them.
Close Relative (c) Stan Shebs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative Carla Isabel Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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