Pseudoeurycea orchimelas

Pseudoeurycea orchimelas, commonly known as the San Martin worm salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Veracruz, Mexico, where it is known from the Sierra de los Tuxtlas at elevations of 100–1,300 m (330–4,270 ft) above sea level.[1][3]

Pseudoeurycea orchimelas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Genus: Pseudoeurycea
Species:
P. orchimelas
Binomial name
Pseudoeurycea orchimelas
(Brodie, Mendelson, and Campbell, 2002)
Synonyms
  • Lineatriton orchimelas Brodie, Mendelson, and Campbell, 2002[2]

Description

Males measure 27–33 mm (1.1–1.3 in) and females 33–37 mm (1.3–1.5 in) in snout–vent length. The average tail length is 51 and 68 mm (2.0 and 2.7 in) for males and females, respectively. The head is wider than the body; the eyes are protuberant. There are ten costal grooves. The specific name orchimelas, from the Greek orchis (=testicle) and melas (=black), refers to the black pigmentation of the outer epithelial layer of the testes and vasa deferentia in adult males. This trait distinguishes it from Pseudoeurycea orchileucos with white testes and vasa deferentia.[2]

Habitat and conservation

Natural habitats of Pseudoeurycea orchimelas are lowland wet forests. They live in leaf litter terrestrially and fossorially. The species is threatened by habitat loss (deforestation) caused by expanding subsistence farming and human settlements and by logging.[1] It is quite an abundant species[1] but secretive.[2]

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References
  1. Parra Olea, G.; Wake, D. (2008). "Pseudoeurycea orchimelas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T59290A11899724. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T59290A11899724.en.
  2. Brodie, E. D., Jr.; Mendelson, J. R. III; Campbell, J. A. (2002). "Taxonomic revision of the Mexican plethodontid salamanders of the genus Lineatriton, with the description of two new species". Herpetologica. 58 (2): 194–202. doi:10.1655/0018-0831(2002)058[0194:TROTMP]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 3893194.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Pseudoeurycea orchimelas (Brodie, Mendelson, and Campbell, 2002)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
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