California Reptiles & Amphibians

Batrachoseps attenuatus - California Slender Salamander

Click on a picture for a larger view

Range in California: Red

Dot-locality Range Map

Adult, Del Norte County

Adult, Humboldt County

Adult, Contra Costa County

Adult, Santa Cruz County

Adult, Contra Costa County,
coiled in defense after being disturbed.

Adult, underside, Santa Cruz County

Adult, Butte County

Adult, Del Norte County

Adult, Contra Costa County. When uncovered, slender salamanders are often found resting in this coiled position.

Adult, Glenn County

3 different variatins of adult salamanders from Del Norte County © Alan Barron

Adult from Whaler Island, Del Norte County © Alan Barron

Underside of juvenile, Del Norte County © Alan Barron

A Mendocino County adult found under a piece of bark with this Ensatina.

In Southern Santa Cruz County, the range of Batrachoseps gavilanensis overlaps that of B. attenuatus. The two species appear very similar, but you can see here that B. gavilanensis has proportionally larger fingers and toes.

In the central Sierras, the range of Batrachoseps diabolicus overlaps that of B. attenuatus. The two species appear very similar, but this comparison shows that B. diabolicus has proportionally larger legs and toes (even though the salamanders are not of equal size.)

A careful look underneath the fallen bark of this dead tree in Contra Costa County turned up one Arboreal Salamander, two Coast Range Newts, one Yellow-eyed Ensatina, and 12 California Slender Salamanders, illustrating how dead wood and bark on a forest floor is an important microhabitat for salamanders and other wildlife.

Habitat

Urban backyard habitat,
Alameda County

Habitat, Butte County

Habitat, Glenn County

Habitat, Mendocino County

Habitat, Humboldt County

Habitat, Del Norte County

Short Video

A few quick looks at several California Slender Salamanders sitting still, coiled up, and quickly wriggling away.

Description

Size

Adults are 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches long (3.2 - 4.7 cm) from snout to vent, 3 - 5 1/2 inches ( 7.5 - 14 cm) in total length.

Appearance

A small slim salamander with 18 -21 costal grooves. Short limbs, a long slender body with a narrow head and a long tail, and conspicuous costal and caudal grooves give this species the worm-like appearance typical of most Slender Salamanders. There are four toes on the front and hind feet, which is also typical of Slender Salamanders. (Other California salamanders have five toes on the hind feet.) Variable in color; generally black or dark above, with red, brown, yellow, or tan coloring forming a dorsal stripe, sometimes with a herringbone pattern. The venter is dark, with fine white speckles.

Behavior and Natural History

Lungless - breathes through smooth moist thin skin. Lives in moist places on land. Active on rainy or wet nights when temperatures are moderate, beginning with the first fall rains until the spring or summer dry period. In coastal forests which remain moist most of the year, activity may continue all year long. Retreats underground when the soil dries or when air temperature gets below freezing. Individuals tend to remain in a small area most of their lives, rarely moving beyond two meters. Longevity has been estimated at 8 - 10 years.

A sit-and-wait predator, catching prey with a projectile tongue.

Defensive behaviors include: coiling and remaining still, then uncoiling quickly and springing away, repeatedly bouncing over the ground for a distance, then remaining still; releasing sticky noxious skin secretions which can glue shut a predator's mouth; and releasing the tail to let its movement distract a predator. A released or severed tail will regenerate.

Diet

Diet consists of a variety of invertebrates, including springtails, small beetles, snails, mites, spiders, and isopods.

Reproduction and Young

Reproduction is terrestrial. Adults reach sexual maturity from an estimated 2 - 4 years. Courtship probably occurs underground, but when it occurs is not known.

Eggs are laid in October and November, shortly after the beginning of the fall rains. Sierra Nevada populations may lay eggs in December and January. Females deposit eggs in moist areas under objects such as rocks and logs or underground. Several females may lay eggs in the same location creating a communal nest, but they apparently do not remain with the eggs. However, adult salamanders have been found at egg deposition sites. Clutch sizes of 4 - 13 eggs have been recorded.

Young develop completely in the egg and hatch fully formed. Incubation time in a laboratory ranged from 72 - 86 days. In the wild, hatchlings have been observed in late December, January, and February.

Range

Endemic to California and extreme southwest Oregon. Occurs from central California south of the Bay Area in San Benito County, north along the coast and coast ranges into Oregon and in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains from Butte County to Calaveras County. Isolated populations occur in scattered areas in the northern Central Valley and in Shasta County.

Habitat

Found in a variety of habitats: chaparral, woodland, grassland, forests, urban yards, vacant lots, driftwood. Generally found in moist locations, under logs, rocks, bark, leaf litter, stumps, debris. Can be very abundant in an area.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

Still present over most of their historical range except in the Central Valley where their habitat of narrow strips of riparian oak woodlands are being replaced with drainage ditches.

Taxonomy
Family	Plethodontidae	Lungless Salamanders
Genus	Batrachoseps	Slender Salamanders
Species	attenuatus	California Slender Salamander
Original Description
Eschscholtz, 1833 - Zool. Atlas, Pt. 5, p. 1, pl. 21, figs. 1-14 from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Batrachoseps: Greek - amphibian, frog lizard - describes lizard-like appearance. attenuatus: Latin - slender, narrow. from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
None
Similar Neighboring Salamanders
Batrachoseps diabolicus Batrachoseps gregarius Batrachoseps gavilanensis
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. Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Amphibians of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Bishop, Sherman C. Handbook of Salamanders. Cornell University Press, 1943. Lannoo, Michael (Editor). Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University of California Press, June 2005. Petranka, James W. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution, 1998. Corkran, Charlotte & Chris Thoms. Amphibians of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, 1996. Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005. Leonard et. al. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, 1993. Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983.

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)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	None
California Department of Fish and Game	None
Bureau of Land Management	None
USDA Forest Service	None
Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List

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