Plateau Tiger Salamander

Fascinating facts about the Plateau Tiger Salamander

• The plateau tiger salamander can undergo metamorphosis again in adulthood, shrinking, losing its external gills and elongating its legs in response to environmental conditions.
• Spot the olive-green back dotted with dark spots and a creamy belly, that’s the adult color pattern of this Mexican salamander, matching the grassy plains it calls home. Its external gills, like tiny feathery fans, let it breathe in deep volcanic lakes and shallow vernal pools alike. The contrast between its sleek adult look and its watery larval stage highlights a life split between land and water.
• From the deserts of Chihuahua up north, down through Durango, and west to Jalisco, this salamander spans a swath of central Mexico’s highlands, inhabiting everything from pine-oak forests to semiarid grasslands. Its ability to breed in both natural ponds and man-made cattle tanks shows a surprising adaptability to varied water sources. This broad range underlines why protecting a single habitat won’t safeguard the whole species.
• Although the IUCN lists it as Least Concern, the plateau tiger salamander lives under a special protection law in Mexico and still faces habitat loss from urbanization, logging, and water extraction, as well as pressure from introduced fish and frogs (Lithobates catesbeianus).

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