Ambystoma mavortium, Western Tiger Salamander

Classification:

 Kingdom: Animalia

  Phylum: Chordata

   Craniata

    Subphylum: Vertebrata

     Tetrapoda

      Class: Amphibia

       Lissamphibia

        Urodela

         Order: Cadata

          Family: Ambystomatidae

           Genus: Ambystoma

            Species: A. mavortium

             Subspecies of Idaho*: A. m.  melanostictum and A.m. nebulosum

*There has been a recent change to the naming of species of the tiger salamanders. In the literature the eastern tiger salamander, the original Ambystoma tigrinum, which was the subspecies Ambystoma tigrinum trigrinum in the greater species has been elevated to its own species again. What had been the other subspecies (A. t. diaboli, A. t. mavortium, A. t. melanostictum, A. t. nebulosum and A. t. stebbinsi) in A. tigrinum have been lumped into the new species A. mavortium. The spit is based on genetic differences between A. tigrinum and A. mavortium. The subspecies have been dropped while the issue of the variability of A. mavortium is worked out. Others have kept the subspecies intact within A. mavortium (A. mavortium diaboli, A.m. mavortium, A.m. melanostictum, A.m. nebulosum and A. m. stebbinsi). I am taking that approach as a way of distinguishing the two distinct biotypes in Idaho.