Anderson's Salamander vs Dwarf Spikemoss

Ambystoma andersoni compared with Selaginella rupestris

Key Differences

• Anderson's Salamander is Critically Endangered while Dwarf Spikemoss is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Anderson's Salamander	Dwarf Spikemoss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Lycopodiopsida (Lycopodiopsida)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Selaginellales (Selaginellales)
Family	Ambystomatidae	Selaginellaceae
Genus	Ambystoma	Selaginella
Species	Ambystoma andersoni	Selaginella rupestris

Conservation Status

Anderson's Salamander

CR — Critically Endangered

Dwarf Spikemoss

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Anderson's Salamander	Dwarf Spikemoss
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Anderson's Salamander

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Nearctic and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Mexico. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Dwarf Spikemoss

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Norway, and United States.

Anderson's Salamander

The Anderson's Salamander (Ambystoma andersoni) is a species in the genus Ambystoma. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Nearctic and Neo.