Anderson's Salamander vs St. James' shell

Ambystoma andersoni compared with Pecten maximus

Key Differences

• Anderson's Salamander is Critically Endangered while St. James' shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Anderson's Salamander	St. James' shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Bivalvia (Bivalvia)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Pectinida (Pectinida)
Family	Ambystomatidae	Pectinidae
Genus	Ambystoma	Pecten
Species	Ambystoma andersoni	Pecten maximus

Evolutionary Relationship

Anderson's Salamander and St. James' shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Anderson's Salamander

CR — Critically Endangered

St. James' shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Anderson's Salamander	St. James' shell
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.

St. James' shell

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China), Europe (8 countries), and South America (Chile).

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.

St. James' shell

St. James' shell (Pecten maximus) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.