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Isthmura bellii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Family:	Plethodontidae
Genus:	Isthmura
Species:	I. bellii
Binomial name
Isthmura bellii (Gray, 1850)
Synonyms
Spelerpes bellii Gray, 1850 Pseudoeurycea bellii (Gray, 1850)

Isthmura bellii, commonly known as Bell's false brook salamander or Bell's salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and occurs mostly along the western and southern margins of the Mexican Plateau, with isolated populations elsewhere.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are pine and pine-oak forests at high elevation, as well as forest edges and grazed areas. It tolerates habitat modification and is also found in degraded forests, coffee plantations, rural gardens, and close to urbanized and highly disturbed areas. This terrestrial species is typically found beneath logs, rocks, waste timber, brush piles, and within leaf litter. Once common, this species has disappeared from many places. The reasons for this decline are unclear, although habitat loss is occurring throughout its range.

Behavior

Isthmura bellii is terrestrial and nocturnal.

Taxonomy

Isthmura bellii is a member of Plethodontidae, also known as the lungless salamanders. Some research indicates that Isthmura bellii is a species complex, meaning that there are multiple species grouped under this name with unresolved evolutionary relationships. Isthmura sierraoccidentalis was promoted from subspecies to species, creating this complication. Genetic analysis suggests there are many cryptic species within the Isthmura bellii group, and further genetic research will be needed to resolve these relationships.

References

1. ^ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2020). "Isthmura bellii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T89185854A53981344. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T89185854A53981344.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
2. Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Isthmura bellii (Gray, 1850)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
3. "AmphibiaWeb - Isthmura bellii". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
4. Bryson, Robert W.; Zarza, Eugenia; Grummer, Jared A.; Parra-Olea, Gabriela; Flores-Villela, Oscar; Klicka, John; McCormack, John E. (August 2018). "Phylogenomic insights into the diversification of salamanders in the Isthmura bellii group across the Mexican highlands". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 125: 78–84. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.03.024. PMID 29555294.

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• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Isthmura
• Amphibians described in 1850
• Taxa named by John Edward Gray
• Endemic amphibians of Mexico
• Fauna of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
• Lungless salamander stubs