Notes on the Texan Salamander 



{Ambystoma texanum Matthes) 



BY JOHN K. STRECKER, JR. 



Five members of the widely distributed salamandrine genus Ambystoma, 

 have been recorded from Texas. The habitat of one of these, the Salamandra 

 texana of Matthes {Ambystoma texanum Cope) is apparently confined within 

 the boundaries of the State. This salamander was first described in 1855 and 

 in the half century that has elapsed since then, less than twenty specimens have 

 been added to collections. Most of these are immature examples and have been 

 recorded from only two definite localities, i. e. San Antonio and Waco. Future 

 explorations will probably disclose the fact that the animal is not uncommon in 

 some portions of the central and southern sections of the State, in river low- 

 lands subject to overflow. 



Ambystoma texanum is figured on plate 35 of the Report of the United 

 States and Mexican Boundary Survey (Senate Documents, Thirty-fourth 

 Congress, first and second sessions, 1855-56) with the locality given as "the 

 Lower Rio Grande." Cope (Batrachia of North America) describes in detail 

 young examples obtained at San Antonio by Col. J. D. Graham (U. S. Na- 

 tional Museum Coll. No. 4044, eleven examples). 



In the Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash, for 1908 (page 80) the present writer gave 

 a description of a single example, (presumably a well grown adult) from 

 Waco. In May, 1908, Mr. Julius Hurter of St. Louis collected one example 

 at San Antonio. In the Spring of igo8, I had the pleasure of finding the 

 eggs of this species and of capturing a number of larval specimens and two ex- 

 amples of the mature form which had probably just completed the larval stage. 



As nothing has been publishrd regarding the life history of the species, I be- 

 lieve that my meagre notes will prove of interest. 



CHARACTER OF THE SPECIES. 



At first sight Ambystoma texanum shows many points of resemblance to the 

 nearly related A. microstomum Cope but it only requires a very cursory ex- 

 amination to convince one that it is a very distinct species. 



The proportions in the two species are much the same in some respects but 

 the colors in living specimens are conspicuously different. The light colored 

 underparts of texanum and the light yellowish spots between the costal folds 

 readily distinguish it from the more uniformly colored, light specified and 

 darker microstomum. The light spots between the costal folds, like the yellow 

 blotches on the dorsal area of immature Texan examples of the Nebulous Toad 

 {Bufo valliceps Wieg.) are not always constant and usually disappear in the 

 preserving fluid. The two young examples collected by me differ from all of 

 the other Texan salamanders in the great contrast between the darker upper- 

 parts and the very light colored (almost white) underparts. 



The following table will serve to illustrate the principal external dii?erences 

 between texanum and microstomum. (Based on examples of approximately 



