Pseudoeurycea aquatica Wake & Campbell 2001

Pseudoeurycea aquatica is moderately large sized (68.4-70.5mm) and its features are specialized for aquatic life. The head is broad and triangular-shaped. The snout is bluntly pointed (with a 70mm posterior vent) and the eyes are small. Remarkably, the nostrils are external but closed due to flap-like structures. The adductor and depressor muscles of the jaw are slightly enlarged and very strong. The mouth holds few but large maxillary teeth. The tail is long, slender, and marked by a constriction at its base. Similarly, the limbs are very long. There are four unwebbed and well-formed digits, plus a prominent but short fifth toe (Wake and Campbell 2001). Dorsal coloring is reddish brown with distinct mottling that is heavily dark brown. Upper eyelids are lighter in color and sparsely spotted. Slight color intensity variations exist. Females are darkly colored compared to males (Wake and Campbell 2001).Among the Bolitoglossini, Pseudoeurycea aquatica is the only aquatic species. It shares similar morphology with Pseudoeurycea smithi (Wake and Campbell 2001).

It is found on the northern mountain slopes of Oaxaca. Generally, lives in streams at 2103m, near cloud forest. It is most often found resting at the bottom of plunge pools (Wake and Campbell 2001).

Uniquely aquatic as adults with slow terrestrial movement. The Pseudoeurycea aquatica shows nocturnal behavior throughout life (Wake and Campbell 2001).

Possible extinction dates back to two decades ago. Clearing of forestry and the resulting degradation of streams due to burned debris has led to a disappearance of Pseudoeurycea aquatica in the Río La Lana (Wake and Campbell 2001).

Pseudoeurycea aquatica, which has been given the common name of aquatic salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico and only known from its type locality in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca near Totontepec Villa de Morelos, Oaxaca.

The natural habitat of Pseudoeurycea aquatica is cloud forest at about 2,100 m (6,900 ft) above sea level. It lives aquatically in streams, the only plethodontid salamander in Mesoamerica to do so. It is only known from three specimens collected in 1978, and the original habitat has been completely destroyed. Subsequent searches have been unsuccessful, and the species is likely to be extinct.