California Reptiles & Amphibians

Aneides vagrans - Wandering Salamander

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Range in California: Red

Dot-locality Range Map

Adult, Humboldt County

Adult, Del Norte County

Juvenile, Del Norte County

Sub-adult, Mendocino County

Juvenile, Humboldt County

Juvenile, Humboldt County, on top, with a juvenile Black Salamander from the same location for comparison, on the bottom.

The Wandering Salamander has toes with squared-off tips. Compare with the more rounded toe tips of Aneides flavipunctatus, the Black Salamander.

Three variations of adult Wandering Salamanders from Del Norte County: black on the left, brown in the center, and gold on the right. © Alan Barron

Adult, Del Norte County © Alan Barron

Underside of adult, Del Norte County
© Alan Barron

Dark juvenile, Del Norte County
© Alan Barron

LIght juvenile, Del Norte County
© Alan Barron

Light juvenile, Del Norte County (lying on one of the rare snows in the redwoods.)
© Alan Barron

Juvenile, Del Norte County
© Alan Barron

Habitat, Mendocino County

Habitat, Del Norte County

Habitat, Mendocino County

Redwood forest habitat, Humboldt County

Wandering Salamanders inhabit the canopy of massive redwood trees such as these in Humboldt County.

Habitat, Humboldt County

Wandering Salamanders are typically found under the bark of decaying fallen trees. Finding one often requires peeling off the bark which can damage the microhabitat needed by this salamander and its prey, and which is illegal in the state of California. (According to the California Department of Fish and Game collecting regulations regarding amphibians: "It is unlawful to use any method or means of collecting that involves breaking apart of rocks, granite flakes, logs, or other shelters in or under which amphibians may be found." ) An easier way to find this salamander, that does not involve habitat damage, is to find fallen trees and logs with bark which has peeled off and place the pieces of bark back on top of the log, then come back later, maybe the next year. These pieces of bark provide good habitat for salamanders and their prey, and are easy to lift and replace. The logs shown above have produced Wandering Salamanders for years.

Description

Size

Adults are 1 4/5 - 3 inches long (4.6 - 7.6 cm) from snout to vent, 3 - 5 inches (7.5 -13 cm) in total length.

Appearance

A medium-sized plethodontid salamander that breathes through thin moist skin instead of lungs. Slim, long-legged, adapted for climbing with long squared-off toes and rounded prehensile tail. Usually 16 costal grooves. Two nasolabial grooves. Males have broader, more triangular heads than females. Dark brown, to pale gray ground color, clouded with greenish gray, pale gold, or reddish blotches scattered with brassy flecks. Young have a copper or brassy dorsal stripe.

Behavior

Active on wet nights. One of the most arboreal salamanders in California, found up to 40 m. above ground. Often forages from beneath bark or logs, sitting still, waiting for small invertebrate prey to come close.

Diet

Consumes a variety of small invertebrates.

Reproduction

Breeding males have a well-developed mental gland. Eggs are laid in moist places on land in Spring and early summer. Females may brood eggs. Young hatch fully formed.

Range

Endemic to California, but introduced onto Vancouver Island. Occurs from northwest Sonoma County near Stewart's Point to the Smith River northern Del Norte County. Populations inhabiting most of Vancouver Island, B.C., are probably introduced from California during shipments of Tan Oak bark in the late 19th century.

Habitat

Occurs in coastal forests of Douglas-fir, cedar, alder, and redwood, often at borders of clearings. From near sea level to 5,400 ft. (1,700 m.) Found under bark of standing or fallen dead trees, in rotten logs, under loose bark on the ground, under rocks, and in crevices in cliffs. Characteristically associated with large logs and talus. Often abundant in recently burned or logged areas having numerous stumps and large amounts of woody debris, and in areas where rock faces or talus provide deep cracks. Where the ranges overlap, less likely to be found sheltering under rocks or on rocky than A. ferreus.

Spickler, et al * conducted a mark and capture study of Wandering Salamanders in 5 massive old-growth redwood trees each standing over 90 meters high (295 ft.) in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. They found that each tree was inhabited by up to 29 salamanders which inhabit crevices, cavities, woody debris lodged into parts of the tree, and mats of soil and epiphytic ferns that absorb moisture like a sponge. They speculate that the shelter and moisture provided by these microhabitats found high in the redwood canopy enable year-round occupation of the canopy by the salamanders (surveys were not possible during the spring and summer months). They found no evidence that the salamanders were moving between trees or onto the ground and suggest that these salamanders breed and potentially live their entire lives within the tree crowns.

Taxonomic Notes

Formerly recognized as Aneides ferreus, ranging from Mencocino County north into northern Oregon and Vancouver Island. A. ferreus was split into two species which are similar in appearance and behavior, with A. ferreus occuring in California only in extreme northwest Del Norte County.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

None

Taxonomy
Family	Plethodontidae	Lungless Salamanders
Genus	Aneides	Climbing Salamanders
Species	vagrans	Wandering Salamander
Original Description
Wake, David and Jackman, Todd - Description of a new species of plethodontid salamander from California Canadian Journal of Zoology Vol. 76, 1998
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Aneides: Greek - lacking form or shape. vagrans: Latin - wandering. from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
Formerly Aneides ferreus
Related or Similar California Salamanders
Speckled Black Salamander Santa Cruz Black Salamander Arboreal Salamander Clouded Salamander
More Information and References
Natureserve Explorer California Dept. of Fish and Game AmphibiaWeb Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Bishop, Sherman C. Handbook of Salamanders. Cornell University Press, 1943. Petranka, James W. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution, 1998. Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005. * Spickler, James C., Stephen C. Sillett, Sharyn B. Marks, and Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr. Evidence of a New Niche for a North American Salamander: Aneides vagrans Residing in the Canopy of Old-growth Redwood Forest. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 1(1):16-27 Submitted: June 15, 2006; Accepted: July 19, 2006

Conservation Status
The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game. This salamander is not included on the Special Animals List, meaning there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California according to the California Department of Fish and Game.
Organization	Status Listing
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)
California Department of Fish and Game
Bureau of Land Management
USDA Forest Service
Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List