Excerpts from Les Urodèles du Monde, 1st and 2nd editions and more recent updates, by Jean Raffaëlli (©2007, ©2014 by Jean Raffaëlli), used with permission. The 2nd edition of this book is available directly from the author: jean.raffaelli@laposte.net and from this website.

Author: Jean Raffaëlli

Ambystoma (Heterotriton) amblycephalum Taylor, 1940
Ambystome de Morelia

Groupe 2 de Highton. 16,1 cm. Se métamorphose dans la nature. 11 sillons costaux. Carène caudale supérieure presque absente. Peau finement tuberculée, tubercules entre les yeux. Membres longs et robustes. Légère palmure. Dents très nombreuses. Parties dorsales noirâtres, parties ventrales grises avec plusieurs séries de taches crèmes ventro-latérales, présentes aussi sur la gorge, plus ou moins prononcées. Première moitié des parties caudales latérales plus claire que vers l’extrémité.

Décrit des environs de Tancitaro, à l’ouest de Morelia, nord-ouest du Michoacan, à environ 2 000 m. Zone de prairies et de forêts mixtes pins/chênes dans les pièces d'eau et grandes mares autour de Tancitaro. Une station citée à Iratzio, à 2 130 m, à 18 km à l'est de Quiroga (Shaffer & McKnight, 1996). 18 km². CR. Menacé par le développement des villes de Morelia et d'Uruapan et par l’introduction de poissons prédateurs.

Reproduction en captivité recommandée par l’UICN.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION - Julian Wittische

Highton’s group 2. 16.1 cm. Metamorphosis occurs in situ. The dorsal caudal keel is almost absent. Ambystoma amblycephalum has light webbing. The skin is lightly tuberculated and tubercles occur between the eyes. The limbs are long and robust. The species has numerous teeth. Dorsal parts are blackish, ventral parts are greyish and has several sets of more or less pronounced cream-colored spots, also present on the throat. The first half of the lateral caudal parts are lighter than those near the extremity of the tail.

Conservation: Its status is considered Critically Endangered. A. amblycephalum is threatened by the development of Morelia and Uruapan Cities and by the introduction of predatory fishes. The IUCN has recommended captive breeding.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION - Krystal Austin, March 2017

Habitat and Range: The species is described from the surroundings of Tacicuaro, 15 km west of Morelia, northwest of Michoacan, at an altitude of around 2000 m in grassland and oak-pine mixed forests near bodies of water and large swamps around Tancitaro. A station cited at Iratzio, at an altitude of 2130 m, 18 km east of Quiroga (Shaffer & McKnight, 1996). Range:18 km².

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 22 Jan 2025.

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