Anderson's Salamander

Anderson's salamander is a fully aquatic, neotenic mole salamander found only in Lake Zacapu, a small lake at about 2,000 meters elevation in the Mexican state of Michoacan. First described in 1984 and named for herpetologist James Anderson, it never leaves the water, keeping medium sized external gills with bright red filaments and a prominent tail fin through its whole life. Its body is reddish brown with black blotches, and it has a large head and small limbs. It is critically endangered, threatened by invasive species, urbanization, and use as food.