California Reptiles & Amphibians

Identifying California Salamanders

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California Salamanders

Salamanders are secretive and rarely encountered. Most of us are unaware of their presence, even though they may be abundant. They have smooth, moist skin, and a tail, although the tail may be completely or partially broken off. Newts, a type of salamander, have bumpy, dry skin, when they are in their land phase. Salamanders are usually active at night, and rarely seen, unless they are found hiding beneath objects. Exceptions are newts, which are active day and night, and a few other air-breathing salamanders which which 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 may be confused with lizards, due to similar body shapes, but lizards have dry skin with visible scales and are generally observed during daylight. 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 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. This section is not yet completed. In the mean time, 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 most 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.

Adult with light spotting (and a broken tail)	Adult with larger spots	Juvenile

	Distribution 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. This is the only small, slender salamander occuring in Northern California in the areas shown on the map below, but 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 adult	Coiled	Adult re-growing tail.

	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.



	Distribution in California (Red)
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. Check the main page for each newt for tips on how to tell them apart. (Click on the blue name links.)

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

ROUGH-SKINNED NEWT - Taricha granulosa granulosa	RED-BELLIED NEWT - Taricha rivularis	CALIFORNIA NEWT Green: Sierra Newt - Taricha torosa sierrae Red: Coast Range Newt - Taricha torosa 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.

Adult	Adult	Adult

	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 can live up to their name, growing up to a foot long, thought many are much smaller. The body, head and limbs are very large and the tail is fairly short and flattened. They are brownish or copper with dark marbled markings. These salamanders are sometimes seen crossing roads on rainy nights on the north coast, and may be seen crawling around streams at night or even in yards in rural forested areas near streams. Very similar in appearance, they were previously thought to be the same species. Use the range maps below to identify them.

California Giant Salamander - Dicamptodon ensatus	Coastal Giant Salamander - Dicamptodon tenebrosus

Distribution in California	Distribution in California