About Ambystoma velasci Dugès, 1888
The plateau tiger salamander, Ambystoma velasci, shows facultative paedomorphosis. Adult individuals have olive green coloration with dark spots across their back, and white or cream coloration on the underside of their abdomen. This species retains external gills like other aquatic salamander species. However, adult plateau tiger salamanders can undergo an additional metamorphosis through a complex genetic mechanism triggered by environmental conditions. During this change, the salamander shrinks in size, loses its external gills, and its legs become longer. The plateau tiger salamander is generally recognized as endemic to Mexico, though its range may extend into the United States. It has a wide geographic distribution within Mexico, reaching from Chihuahua in the north to Durango in the south, and as far west as Jalisco. Its natural habitats include grasslands, which encompass both sparse forest and semiarid grassland. In the highlands of central Mexico, the species lives in ponds and small streams located in tropical deciduous forests or pine-oak forests. Breeding occurs in a variety of aquatic habitats: deep volcanic lakes, shallow vernal pools, artificial cattle ponds, and intermittent, fish-free stream pools.
