A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Identifying California Salamanders

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California Salamanders

Range Maps

Photo Index

Herps of the San
Francisco Bay Area

Herps of Coastal
Southern California

California Salamanders Salamanders are secretive and rarely encountered. Most of us are unaware of their presence, even though they may be abundant. They are typical vertebrates with four legs, two eyes, a mouth, and a long tail, although the tail may be completely or partially broken off. They have smooth, moist skin. Newts, a type of salamander, have bumpy, dry skin, when they are in their land phase. Their skin becomes smooth when they return to live in the water during the breeding season. Salamanders are usually active at night. They are rarely seen, unless they are found while hiding beneath objects that are overturned. Occasionally they may be seen on a porch or road on a rainy night. Newts are active day and night, as are a few other air-breathing salamanders which which sometimes can be seen migrating to breeding ponds at night, or swimming in the ponds during daylight. Salamanders can be found on land, in trees, underneath objects and bark, on rocks and walls, including vertical rock faces, in streams, in ponds, and in residential yards and basements. Salamanders are generally active beginning with the onset of the fall rains, which sometimes stimulates much movement, until the ground dries up in late spring or summer. During very cold periods in winter, they may be inactive. At higher elevations, they are active in summer. Salamanders might be confused with lizards, due to similar body shapes, but lizards have dry skin with visible scales and are generally observed during daylight when they are active. The slender salamanders are often mistaken for worms due to their elongated bodies and tiny legs. Young salamander larvae can be difficult to tell apart from frog tadpoles. Older larvae have gills and legs and long thin bodies which differ from tadpoles. The identification of salamander larvae is not covered here.
This is not a scientific key to identifying salamanders found in California. It is meant to be used as a basic tool for the novice who wants identify a salamander primarily by appearance and location. It is very general and not yet complete. It might help you to look at the following list of what I believe are the most commonly encountered salamanders in California, based on personal experience and email I have received asking me to identify salamanders. Most of these can either be found near heavily-populated areas, or are species that conspicuously crawl in the open either at night or in daylight. You will also find it helpful to look at the Salamander Photo Index, which contains a picture of every form of salamander occuring in the state, and the Salamander Range Maps page, which contains maps showing the range of every salamander occuring in the state. If you have any problems with this key, or suggestions on how to improve it (besides finally completing it!), please send me your feedback.

Salamanders commonly encountered in California
Arboreal Salamander - Aneides lugubris Size: 2 1/4 - 4 in. (5.7 - 10.1 cm) from snout to vent and up to 7 inches (18 cm) in total length (including tail.) This salamander is commonly seen in moist shaded yards and gardens in Northern California, especially around the Bay Area. It also occurs along the coast through southern California, and north to Humboldt county along the coast and northern coast ranges, as well as in the central Sierra Nevada foothills. These salamanders can be seen walking around on the ground at night, or climbing on walls and trees, especially during or after rains, usually from about November until the end of the spring rains in April or May. They may also be found under wood, branches, flower pots, slabs of cement, paving stones, or any other objects in your yard, and they are also occasionally found inside basements and garages. I had one or more living in my Oakland garage which was below the ground level and prone to flooding during heavy rain. When the garage flooded, the salamanders would float to the surface. This salamander is typically brown with cream-colored spots. The size of spots varies, and some have few or none. The ground color can vary from light grey or brown to dark brownish purple. Young salamanders are very dark with light speckles or patches. The limbs have no yellow or orange coloring (as do the young of another neighboring species.) The head is large and triangular on males and the eyes are dark with a patch of gold speckles.


		Juveniles are usually very dark

	Distribution in California
Pacific Newts - Taricha Size: 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 inches (6.4 - 8.9 cm) snout to vent, 3 1/2 - 7 7/8 inches (8.9 - 20 cm) total length (including tail.) Pacific Newts are stocky salamanders usually with rough, bumpy skin. However, they move in and out of water during the breeding season and at this time the skin will be smooth. These salamanders are frequently seen during daylight walking on roads or forest floors during the rainy season when they move to ponds or streams to breed. They are all brown or orange with yellow, orange, or red below. There are four types of newts which occur in California. Once you determine that your salamander is a newt, it's best to use the range maps below to determine which kind you have. Where they overlap - especially along the Mendocino coast, it can be difficult to tell them apart. Here are some tips on how to tell them apart: Identifying Species of Pacific Newts - Taricha.


Rough-skinned Newt Taricha granulosa granulosa	Red-bellied Newt Taricha rivularis	California Newt Taricha torosa Sierra Newt Taricha sierrae

Rough-skinned Newt Taricha granulosa granulosa	Red-bellied Newt Taricha rivularis	California Newts Green: Sierra Newt - Taricha sierrae Red: California Newt - Taricha torosa
California Tiger Salamander - Ambystoma californiense Size: 3-5 inches (7.6 - 12.7 cm) snout-to-vent, 5.9 - 8.5 inches (15-22 cm) total length. This large stocky salamander is not common in California, and is not usually seen because it lives underground most of the year, but it can be very conspicuous in selected areas during the rainy winter months when it can be seen crossing roads on wet or rainy nights moving to and from its breeding ponds. It is also occasionally found under surface objects in yards and gardens, especially in rural areas. California Tiger Salamanders are black or dark brown with yellow or cream-colored spots or bars on the body. The head is large and rounded with large protuberant eyes. The young hatch and live in water before growing legs and transforming and moving onto the ground.

	Typical Adults

	Distribution in California
Giant Salamanders - Dicamptodon Size: 2 1/2 to 6 4/5 inches (6.25 - 17 cm) snout to vent, and up to 13 inches (34 cm) total length (including tail.) Giant Salamanders live up to their name, growing up to a foot long, although it takes years for them to reach that size and many that you might encounter are much smaller. The body, head and limbs are very large and the tail is fairly short and flattened. They are brownish or copper-colored with dark marbled markings. These salamanders are sometimes seen crossing roads on rainy nights along the coast north of the Monterey Bay, and may be seen crawling around streams at night or even in yards in rural forested areas near streams. The two species are very similar in appearance. They were previously thought to be the same species. You should use the range map to determine which species is in your area.

California Giant Salamander - Dicamptodon ensatus

California Giant Salamander Distribution in California

Coastal Giant Salamander - Dicamptodon tenebrosus

Coastal Giant Salamander Distribution in California
Slender Salamanders
These long thin salamanders are often mistaken for worms. The grooves on their sides even give them a somewhat ringed appearance like a worm. Like worms, they are usually discovered hiding underneath objects such as boards and pots and rocks in wet places. Occasionally they will be seen crawling on wet pavement at night during a rainy period. There are 19 kinds of slender salamanders in California, plus a few more that may also be unique. They are very difficult to tell apart but in most areas there is only one kind that you will find (although some of them occur in only a small area.) Looking at a map of their distribution is probably the best way to identify them. If you look at the map of all slender salamanders in California, that should help you narrow down which species you want to identify. You can also check the individual Salamander Range Maps page to see the distribution of other slender salamanders (Batrachoseps) in the state. In many areas where more than one species of slender salamander occurs, I have included pictures comparing the two species. You can't really tell them apart by color, pattern, or size, so the best way is to pay attention to the relative size of the body, the feet and the toes when compared to the other species. Often this will help to separate them.

	Click on the image above to see a map of all Slender Salamanders in California
California Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps attenuatus Size: 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches (3.2 - 4.7 cm) snout to vent, 3 - 5 1/2 inches ( 7.5 - 14 cm) total length (including tail.) This salamander can be abundant in the right habitat, which includes shaded, moist yards and gardens, woodlands, forests, and chaparral. As with most California salamanders, they can be seen walking around on the ground at night, especially during or after rains, usually from about November until the end of the spring rains in April or May. I have even seen them crawling on wet sidewalks in daylight. They may also be found under wood, branches, flower pots, slabs of cement, paving stones, mats of grass or vines, or any other objects in your yard. I found many at the edge of the house under grass or vegetation where it contacted the house. This is a small, thin salamander, which might look like a worm on first sight, before the tiny limbs are noticed. Often they will be found coiled up under a surface object. When disturbed, they may spring up and writhe on the ground, wagging their tail, which sometimes is let loose as a distraction. It is also easily detached when a salamander is handled. Many of these salamanders will be found with an incompletely re-grown tail.

Typical adults

They are often found coiled up		Adult re-growing its tail.

	Slender Salmanders (genus Batrachoseps) have only 4 toes on their hind feet. All other California salamanders have 5 toes on their hind feet.

	Distribution in California
Garden Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps major major Size: 1 1/4 - 2 1/3 inches (3.2 - 5.9 cm) snout to vent, and about twice that length with a full tail. This is the small worm-like salamander commonly found in gardens and yards in coastal southern California. It is often seen under surface objects, especially in moist and shaded areas, but it may also be found under cover in open areas including coastal chaparral. This is a small, thin salamander, which might look like a worm on first sight, before the tiny limbs are noticed. Often they will be found coiled up under a surface object. When disturbed, they may spring up and writhe on the ground, wagging their tail, which sometimes is let loose as a distraction. It is also easily detached when a salamander is handled. Many of these salamanders will be found with an incompletely re-grown tail. This is one of two small, slender salamander occuring in Southern California in the areas shown on the map below, but the second species is less commonly encountered and is found in the mountains. There are many other species of slender salamanders occuring throughout the state which all look so much alike that they are nearly impossible to identify without using a range map. Check the Salamander Range Maps page to see the distribution of other slender salamanders or Batrachoseps in the state.

Typical adults		Adult with juvenile

	Distribution in California (Red)

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