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Cave splayfoot salamander
Species of amphibian From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The cave splayfoot salamander (Chiropterotriton mosaueri) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico, specifically in the Sierra Madre Oriental pine–oak forests[2] of the northern region of Hidalgo, Mexico.[3] The species was thought to be extinct for over 70 years since its first observation and a study of five salamanders made by Robert Livingston and Harold T. Woodall in 1937.[2] In 2010, this species was spotted for the first time since its 1941 description[4] by Dr. Sean Rovito who identified two individuals during his search for other lost amphibian species.[5]
When preserved in alcohol they found the specimens had an overall dark brown coloration with a light tan underbelly.[2] Features of interest were their webbed "spatulate" feet, number of costal grooves (12–13) and tails which were slightly longer in length than the head and body combined.[2] Their proportionally longer limbs, shorter heads, and large quantity of vomerine teeth set them apart from other species of Chiropterotriton.[2] Their natural habitat is believed to be damp caves where they were initially discovered, however the exact locations are unknown.[2] They are threatened by habitat loss due to deforestation and the expansion of agriculture in the region which causes the caves to become dry.[3]
The cave splayfoot salamander and the bigfoot splayfoot salamander (Chiropterotriton magnipes) are considered to be sympatric since both are rare species and observed in the same cave.[6]
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