Ambystoma platineum
(Cope, 1867)
Vermilion Co., Illinois. March 22, 2010.
The salamander formerly known as Ambystoma platineum is now considered a all-female “Ambystoma biotype hybrid” mix of A. laterale, A. jeffersonianum, and A. texanum. Where these hybrids occur in Illinois, they are dependent on sperm packets from male Ambystoma texanum, the smallmouth salamander. The platineum females don’t actually use the sperm packets to fertilize their eggs; rather, proximity to the packets stimulates the unfertilized eggs to begin cell division, without any genetic contribution from a male salamander.
Beautifully weird.
My Flickr album for this species is here.
