Blotched Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum
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- A. m. melanostictum – Locality Unknown – photo from iNaturalist, Scott Wahlberg
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- Map by Steve Bledsoe, SWCHR
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Ambystoma m. melanostictum occurs in the extreme northeastern regions of Utah.
LEGAL STATUS: No Listings
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum (Baird, 1860)
Genus: Ambystoma, Greek – amby = round, like the rounded top of a cup + stoma = mouth — poss. ref. large rounded mouth
Species: mavortium, Latin = war-like — ref. Mars, Roman god of war; possibly named from a large neotenic adult individual or a cannibalistic morph with an extra row of teeth – either would be enough to provoke a reference to ancient war gods!
Subspecies: melanostictum, Greek – melano = black + stiktos = spotted — ref. light spotting of dark dorsum
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006
Ref. E. Jaeger 1962