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.

Urban backyard habitat,
Alameda County

Habitat, Butte County

Habitat, Glenn County

Habitat, Mendocino County

Habitat, Humboldt County

Habitat, Del Norte County

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 plethodontid salamander which breathes through smooth moist thin skin. 18 -21 costal grooves. Short limbs, a narrow head, long slender body, very long tail, and conspicuous costal and caudal grooves give this species the worm-like appearance typical of most Slender Salamanders. 4 toes on front and hind feet, also typical of Slender Salamanders. (Other California salamanders have 5 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. Black or dark ventrally, with fine white speckles.

Behavior

Active on rainy or wet nights when temperatures are moderate, beginning with the first fall rains until the spring or summer dry period. Retreats underground when the soil dries or when air temperature gets below freezing. Lives and lays eggs in moist places on land. When disturbed, may coil up and remain still, then uncoil quickly and spring away, repeatedly bouncing over the ground. Tail is easily broken off, but it can be regenerated. A sit-and-wait predator.

Diet

Diet consists of a variety of invertebrates.

Reproduction

Eggs are laid in fall and winter. Young hatch fully formed in winter and spring. Often use large communal nests.

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

Ranges along the coast from extreme southwest Oregon to San Benito County and in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada mountains and scattered locations in the Sacramento valley and in Shasta county. 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. (I once found over two dozen adult salamanders along the edge of a house in an urban area where grass or vegetation contacted the foundation.)

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

None

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. Bishop, Sherman C. Handbook of Salamanders. Cornell University Press, 1943. 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)
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