Chunky False Brook Salamander vs Itomaki-ei

Aquiloeurycea cephalica compared with Mobula japanica

Key Differences

• Chunky False Brook Salamander is Least Concern while Itomaki-ei is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chunky False Brook Salamander	Itomaki-ei
Kingdom same	Animalia (動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum same	Chordata (脊索動物)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Amphibia (両生類)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Caudata (有尾目)	Myliobatiformes (トビエイ目)
Family	Plethodontidae	Myliobatidae
Genus	Aquiloeurycea	Mobula
Species	Aquiloeurycea cephalica	Mobula japanica

Evolutionary Relationship

Chunky False Brook Salamander and Itomaki-ei share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (脊索動物)

Conservation Status

Chunky False Brook Salamander

LC — Least Concern

Itomaki-ei

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chunky False Brook Salamander	Itomaki-ei
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chunky False Brook Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in Mexico.

Itomaki-ei

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Chile and Taiwan.

Chunky False Brook Salamander

The Chunky False Brook Salamander (Aquiloeurycea cephalica) is a Least Concern plethodontid salamander endemic to Mexico, found in cloud forest and humid montane habitats in the Sierra Madre Oriental and related mountain ranges. The genus Aquiloeurycea is a recently erected Mexican endemic genus segregated from the broader genus Pseudoeurycea, comprising several small, robustly built (hence 'chunky') salamanders associated with high-elevation forests. Like all plethodontids, A. cephalica is a lungless salamander that breathes entirely through its moist, vascularized skin and the lining of its mouth. It is a direct developer, skipping the aquatic larval stage entirely and laying eggs in terrestrial microhabitats such as rotting logs, leaf litter, and soil. A. cephalica inhabits cool, humid forests of pine-oak and cloud forest zones in northern Mexico, where it forages for small invertebrates in the leaf litter and soil. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern due to its reasonably wide distribution within its montane range. Deforestation, cattle grazing, and the conversion of cloud forest to agriculture represent ongoing threats to populations throughout its range.