Taylor's salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Taylor's salamander |
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Taylor's salamander (Ambystoma taylori) is a special type of salamander. It lives only in one place: a high-up crater lake called Laguna Alchichica in Mexico. This lake is about 2,290 meters (7,513 feet) above sea level. Taylor's salamander is unique because it stays like a baby (a larva) its whole life, even when it's old enough to have its own babies! It never changes into a land-living adult. Sadly, the lake where it lives is getting saltier and harder for the salamanders to survive. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says it is "critically endangered". This means it's at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
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How It Was Discovered
This salamander was officially described in 1982. Three scientists, Brandon, Maruska, and Rumph, gave it its name. They named it after Edward Harrison Taylor, an American scientist who studied reptiles and amphibians.
Interestingly, people knew about this salamander long before 1982. Edward Taylor himself tried to name it in 1943. But he made a mistake. He used a different type of salamander by accident. This meant his name for it was not valid.
What Does It Look Like?
Taylor's salamanders are medium-sized. Most grown-up ones are about 70 millimeters (2.8 inches) long. The biggest ones can be up to 113 millimeters (4.4 inches) long.
Life Cycle and Features
This salamander is a neotenic species. This means it keeps its baby features even when it's an adult. It keeps its tail fin and its feathery external gills. It never goes through a full metamorphosis to become a land animal. It stays in the water its whole life. It also lays its eggs in the same lake where it lives.
Taylor's salamanders are usually pale yellowish. They have dark spots on their backs. Their external gills are short and thick. They have large heads and small, underdeveloped limbs.
How It Eats
These salamanders eat by sucking in their food. They are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animals.
Where Does It Live?
Taylor's salamander lives in Lake Alchichica. The water in this lake is a bit salty, like 9.2 g/L (0.00033 lb/cu in) of salt. It is also very alkaline, which means it has a high pH (between 8.5 and 10). The water temperature in the lake is usually between 18 and 21 °C (64 and 70 °F).
The salamanders often hide under rocks or ledges. They stay below the water line. They also go into the deeper parts of the lake.
Why Is It in Trouble?
Lake Alchichica is facing problems. People are taking water from the lake for farming and drinking. This makes the lake's water level drop. As the water level drops, the lake becomes even saltier.
If the water quality keeps getting worse, Taylor's salamander could become extinct. This means it could disappear forever. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has called it "critically endangered". They have suggested starting a captive breeding program. This would involve raising salamanders in special safe places to help their numbers grow.
