California Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps attenuatus
Summary 4
The California slender salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus) is a lungless salamander that is found primarily in coastal mountain areas of Northern California, United States as well as in a limited part of the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, California, in patches of the northern Central Valley of California, and in extreme southwestern Oregon. What makes this amphibian notable is that this species resides primarily in a limited range within California as one of a handful quasi-endemic...
Habitat 5
Batrachoseps attenuatus is found in several plant communities including California oak woodland, redwoodforest, Douglas fir forest, montanehardwoodconifer, grasslands and riparian zone; occurrence ranges from valley floors to mid-elevation in coastal ranges. From approximately October to March, the California slender salamander seeks cover near streams and other moist environments. This batrachian often may be found resting beneath leaf litter or other woodland detritus, or beneath rotting logs or rocks providing a wet environment. The slender shape of the California slender salamander is well adapted to penetration of earthworm or termiteburrows to forage for prey, usually consisting of tiny arthropods such as mites, spiders and snails. In the dry season commencing in April this species seeks out subterranean tunnels or burrows, including rodent homes, to achieve a cooler and moister retreat than available at the surface.
California slender salamanders have demonstrated an ability to survive in some urban and suburban environments. For example, in November 1996, San Francisco Bay Area homeowners reported finding trapped and desiccated California slender salamanders in their sunken bricked patio. Homeowners in the same area reported finding California slender salamanders in their yard in 2004.
Description 6
Like most of the slender salamanders (genus Batrachoseps), B. attenuatus is elongated and slender, with small, very short limbs and a long tail (1.5-2 times its snout-vent length). Each foot has 4 digits. Dark brown to blackish. Dorsal stripe of brick-red, brown, tan, buff, or yellow often present. Dark color on belly usually forms a fine, unbroken network. Underside of tail often lighter than belly and appears tinged with yellow from underlying fat deposits. Fine white speckling on ventral surfaces, including midline of tail. (Stebbins 1985; Petranka 1998).
As recently as 1954 all populations of Batrachoseps in California were assigned to this species, but on the basis of work by Brame and Murray (1968) and especially Yanev (1980), the range of the species has become increasingly restricted to northern California and the northern Sierra Nevada.
See another account at californiaherps.com.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Steve Lew, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/61342216@N00/2433705379
- (c) ap2il, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/ap2il/3281239709/
- (c) J. Maughn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmaughn/5672333769/
- Adapted by kmarie333 from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batrachoseps_attenuatus
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_slender_salamander
- (c) AmphibiaWeb © 2000-2011 The Regents of the University of California, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/23850046
