Anderson's Salamander vs Mealy Shadow Lichen

Ambystoma andersoni compared with Phaeophyscia orbicularis

Key Differences

• Anderson's Salamander is Critically Endangered while Mealy Shadow Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Anderson's Salamander	Mealy Shadow Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Caliciales (Caliciales)
Family	Ambystomatidae	Physciaceae
Genus	Ambystoma	Phaeophyscia
Species	Ambystoma andersoni	Phaeophyscia orbicularis

Conservation Status

Anderson's Salamander

CR — Critically Endangered

Mealy Shadow Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Anderson's Salamander	Mealy Shadow Lichen
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.

Mealy Shadow Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

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.