Description
Lineatriton lineolus is a very slender salamander that is found primarily on dry land. The species can grow up to 38 mm SVL and 128 mm TL. In adult individuals, the tail is cylindrical and usually twice as long as the body and head. The front and forelimbs are short, with partially webbed hands and feet. This species has a rounded snout and stalked tongue.

L. lineolus can be distinguished from other wormlike salamanders by the long, narrow vertebrae it has. In all, the body contains fifteen elongated vertebrae.

This species is usually a dull black, with paler coloration marking the sides, (Dunn 1926) although Shannon and Werler (1955) have documented living specimens that were uniformally lead gray (Tanner and Dundee, 2000).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Mexico

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

L. lineolus can only be found in perennial evergreen tropical forests in central Veracruz, Mexico (Pelcastre-Villafuerte and Flores-Villela 1992). Although the distribution of this species is below the cloud forests, it extends up to 1250 m. These areas recieve the most precipitation in Veracruz. Within these habitats, L. lineolus is found under stones, leaves, and trash on plantations, as well as in rotten logs (Tanner and Dundee 2000).

Comments
Etymology:

Lineatriton comes from the Latin words "linea," which literally translates as "feminine," and "triton," the name of the Roman sea god. "Linea" refers to the slender appearance of the salamander. The species name, lineola, is also from "linea," but in this context, it refers to the thin vertebral line some individuals have (Tanner and Dundee 2000).

References

Dunn, E. R. (1926). ''Hydromantes.'' The Salamanders of the Family Plethodontidae. Smith College, Northhampton, Massachusetts, 344-354.

Pelcastre-Villafuerte, L. and Flores-Villela, O. A. (1992). ''Lista de especies y localidades de recolecta de la herpetofauna de Veracruz, Mexico.'' Publication Espec. Museum Zoology Fac. Ciencias Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, (4), 26-96.

Shannon, F .A. and Werler, J. E. (1955). ''Notes on amphibians of the Los Tuxtlas Range of Veracruz, Mexico.'' Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 58, 360-386.

Tanner, W. W. and Dundee, H. A. (2000). ''Lineatriton, L. lineolus.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 705.1-705.4.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Pseudoeurycea lineola: Mexican Slender Salamander <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/4084> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 26, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 26 Dec 2024.

AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.