Amber-colored salamander

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Amber salamander

Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Hynobiidae
Genus: Hynobius
Species:
H. stejnegeri
Binomial name
Hynobius stejnegeri
Dunn, 1923[2]
Synonyms

Hynobius yatsui
Oyama, 1947 (See text)

The amber salamander, amber-colored salamander, tortoiseshell salamander, or Stejneger's oriental salamander (Hynobius stejnegeri) is a species of

habitat loss.[1]

Physical characteristics

As its name suggests, the external appearance is that of semitransparent blackish brown ground color, blotched with bright amber. Its ventral surface is lighter and without blotches.

Hynobius kimurae in color, but has only four toes, a longer series of vomerine teeth, and a longer body.[2][8]

Taxonomy

According to a recent study led by Matsui, Nishikawa and Tominaga, Hynobius stejnegeri and Hynobius yatsui are identical. The name H. yatsui is therefore relegated to a subjective junior synonym of H. stejnegeri. According to the same study, a population of Hynobius stejnegeri from Kyushu should be treated as a new species Hynobius ikioi.[9]

Habitat and ecology

This species of salamander is found only in Kyushu, Japan, and is distributed among the mountainous areas of the prefectures of Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Northern Kagoshima.

phenological circumstances in the populations of amber salamander between two regions separated by geographic isolation.[10]

Behavior

The egg sacs produced by the males are quite long, ranging from 17 to 30 cm and differ from other species of the same genus, Hynobius boulengeri, by not having the prominent whip-like formation on the free end.[8] Each clutch ranges from 21–57 eggs, and the female remains close to her clutch until the eggs have hatched.[5] The hatched larvae are a yellowish color and the fingers and toes sport black claws.[8] These larvae undergo a metamorphosis while living in the stream, and emerge in September and October of the same year they are laid, but many wintering larvae remain in the stream until spring or summer of the following year when they emerge.[5][8]

Threats

The amber salamander is harmed by hunting and trapping, logging, and wood harvesting.[1] Major threats also include the construction of roads, deforestation, erosion, and pollution. The amber salamander is also used for medicine and food.[1][5] H. stejnegeri is also used in the medical field of comparative hepatology.[11] In an experiment, when the mother was removed, the eggs vanished, presumably eaten by freshwater crabs or some other predator.[4][6] This suggests survival of the larvae is contingent on the mother's protection.

Conservation

The extent of occurrence is less than 20,000 km2, the species are fragmented in distribution, regionally only in Japan, with a continuing decline in the extent and quality of their habitat.[1] The amber salamander was considered near threatened by the Environment Agency of Japan in 2000.[8] It was determined near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2021.[1] Now, the amber salamander is on the Earth's Endangered Creatures List.[12] It is designated a natural monument by Kumamoto Prefecture. There is a need to ensure the capture of this species from the wild is managed in a sustainable way.

References

  1. ^ . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Hynobius stejnegeri Dunn, 1923". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Facts about Amber-coloured Salamander (Hynobius stejnegeri). Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved Oct 25, 2012
  5. ^ a b c d Winters, N. (2006–1207). AmphibiaWeb – Hynobius stejnegeri. Retrieved Oct 25, 2012
  6. ^ .
  7. ^ Thorn, R., (1969). Les salamandres d’Europe, d’Asie et d’Afrique du Nord. Editions Paul Lechevalier, Paris.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Sparreboom, M. (2011-03-14). Science. naturalis – stejnegeri. Retrieved Oct 25, 2012
  9. S2CID 5487987
    .
  10. ^ .
  11. .
  12. ^ Glenn, C. R. (2006). Earth's Endangered Creatures – Worldwide Endangered Species List – Animals. Retrieved Oct 25, 2012