Pseudoeurycea leprosa

Pseudoeurycea leprosa is a relatively frequently occurring in central Mexico salamanders of the genus Mexico Salamander ( Pseudoeurycea ) within the family of lung lots salamander.

Features

Pseudoeurycea leprosa is a medium -sized species within the genus encompassing 32 species of salamander Mexico. She has a head-body length of about 5-6 cm.

The basic color is dark brown or black with silver- gray spots. In addition, there is an irregular brown to rust red markings on the backs of salamanders. This drawing is very variable and can even be completely absent. In individual copies to form in the middle of the back, and particularly on top of the tail of a broad band red rust. A silver-gray strip forms on each side of the boundary to the underside of the animal, which is dark gray to black. Young animals are also dark gray to black with irregular silver-gray drawing and rarely a rust red stripes at the transition to tail.

Dissemination

Pseudoeurycea leprosa is widespread in central Mexico from the western outskirts of Mexico City and the northern Morelos across the state of México and Puebla to the Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico, in the state of Veracruz. The species occurs in the highlands in fir and pine forests in 2700-3300 m altitude before and is locally common.

Way of life

This salamander is ground -dwelling and hides during the day in the foliage or under the bark of fallen trees. In the highlands of Mexico Pseudoeurycea leprosa is dependent on both seasonal as well as daily variations in temperature in contrast to the lung lots of salamanders in the southern parts of Central America. In the hiding of Pseudoeurycea leprosa the temperature varies between 10.8 ° C in summer and 22.2 ° C and autumn between 4.5 ° C and 11.3 ° C. Like most other lung lots salamander feeds Pseudoeurycea leprosa mainly ants and other small insects but can capture using its sticky tongue also spin annelids and larger caterpillars.

The eggs are protected in the litter or moss stored. It is believed that Pseudoeurycea leprosa similar to other lung lots Salamander brood care operates by the nest is guarded for several weeks. The development takes place directly in the egg from which hatch the young animals, without passing through a larval stage in the water.

Taxonomy

Francis Sumichrast was a Swiss naturalist who had come to Mexico in 1855. He sent many of his herpetological finds to the National Museum, where Edward Drinker Cope many first descriptions according to the notifications received from Sumichrast written copies. The first description of Pseudoeurycea leprosa took place in 1869 in the journal Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Cope published a compilation of the lung lots salamander. The salamander was then classified by him in the genus Spelerpes.