A nonlethal method of identification of <i>Ambystoma laterale</i>, <i>A. jeffersonianum</i> and sympatric unisexuals

Abstract

Abstract Unisexual salamanders in the genus Ambystoma live in obligate sympatry with the sexual species Ambystoma laterale or Ambystoma jeffersonianum, from which they are not easily distinguished . Because the sexual species are protected in many parts of their range, accurate identification of sexual and unisexual individuals is required for conservation purposes. Unisexual individuals are currently identified using isozyme electrophoresis, which requires sacrificing the animal. Here we present a nonlethal method of identification for members of the A. laterale–jeffersonianum part of the Ambystoma complex utilizing genome‐specific microsatellites with or without the addition of flow cytometry.