Southern giant salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern giant salamander |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Genus: | Isthmura |
| Species: |
I. maxima
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| Binomial name | |
| Isthmura maxima (Parra-Olea, García-París, Papenfuss, and Wake, 2005)
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| Synonyms | |
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The southern giant salamander (Isthmura maxima) is a very large type of salamander. It belongs to the family Plethodontidae. This amazing creature lives only in Mexico. You can find it in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. These mountains are in western and southern Oaxaca and eastern Guerrero. It is the biggest tropical salamander known! The first one ever studied was about 24 centimeters (almost 10 inches) long. It weighed about 58 grams (a bit more than 2 ounces).
What Does This Giant Salamander Look Like?
Adult male southern giant salamanders are usually between 9 and 12.5 centimeters long. Females are a bit longer, from 8.9 to 12.8 centimeters. This measurement is taken from their snout (nose) to their vent (a special opening). Scientists call this "snout-vent length" or SVL.
Their tail is quite long. For males, it's almost as long as their body. For females, it's about 85% of their body length. These salamanders can have different colors. But usually, they are a solid black color.
They often have bright spots on their body. These spots can be red-orange or light orange. You can see them on the head, body, and the part of the tail closest to the body. The southern giant salamander has a strong, sturdy body. Its head is big and wide, but its snout is short. Its legs are long and strong. Its fingers and toes are well-formed but short. They do not have much webbing between them.
Where Does the Southern Giant Salamander Live and How Is It Protected?
This special salamander is not very well known. It has been found in places like banana fields. It has also been seen on the side of roads. It lives in areas that are 750 to 2000 meters (about 2,460 to 6,560 feet) above sea level.
It seems to live in permanent burrows or tunnels underground. The southern giant salamander can handle some changes to its home. However, new buildings and different farming methods could be a problem for it. Sadly, this salamander does not live in any protected areas right now.
 | William Lucy |
 | Charles Hayes |
 | Cleveland Robinson |
