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Adult, Los Angeles County |
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Underside of adult, Los Angeles County |
Adult, coiling defensively |
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Adult, Los Angeles County |
Adult, Los Angeles County |
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In some areas the Black Bellied Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps nigriventris, shown on the left of the picture on the left, occurs with B. gabrieli, shown on the right. These two salamanders were found next to each other under the same rock. (Note the larger, more robust limbs and body of B. gabrieli.) © William Flaxington
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Comparison of B. m. major (left) and B. gabrieli (collected with a permit.)
Note the darker color of B. gabrieli and larger feet and toes. |
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Habitat, 3,800 ft., Los Angeles County
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Habitat, 3,800 ft., Los Angeles County |
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Description |
| Size |
| Adults are 1 1/2 - 2 inches long (3.8 - 5.1 cm) from snout to vent. |
| Appearance |
| A medium-sized plethodontid salamander, which breathes through smooth moist thin skin. 18 -19 costal grooves. Appearance is worm-like. Fairly robust for a Batrachoseps, with a fairly broad head, long limbs, large feet, and tapered tail. 4 toes on front and hind feet, typical of Batrachoseps. (Other California salamanders have 5 toes on hind feet.) Black above with a coppery to orange patchy dorsal stripe, becoming patches on the tail, and white speckling. Black venter with scattered speckles. |
| Behavior |
| Active on rainy or wet nights when temperatures are moderate, limited to a few months in winter and early spring. Retreats into deep talus when the soil dries or when air temperature gets below freezing or ground is covered with snow. Co-exists with B. nigriventris in some localities. B. nigriventris has narrower head, shorter limbs, smaller feet, longer tail. Lives and in moist places on land. Found under large rocks, logs, and bark. Most Batrachoseps, 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. |
| Diet |
| Most likely a sit-and-wait predator with a diet of small invertebrates. |
| Reproduction |
| Lays eggs in moist places on land.
Young hatch fully-formed. |
| Range |
| Endemic to California. A relict species, found only in a few locations in the San Gabriel mountains and the western end of the San Bernardino mountains. |
| Habitat |
| Inhabits forested talus slopes, and shaded areas, often near a stream. From 1,200 - 5,085 ft. (366 - 1,550 m). |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| Not discovered until the 1990's. Described officially in 1996, which is unusual due to its close proximity to a heavily populated area. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| Considered sensitive, most likely due to its limited habitat close to a heavily populated area. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Plethodontidae |
Lungless Salamanders |
| Genus |
Batrachoseps |
Slender Salamanders |
Species
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gabrieli |
San Gabriel Slender Salamander |
| Original Description |
Wake, David B. "A new species of Batrachoseps (Amphibia: Plethodontidae) from the San Gabriel Mountains,
southern California." Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. 463. 1996.
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Batrachoseps: Greek - amphibian, frog lizard - describes lizard-like appearance.
gabrieli: of the San Gabriel Mountains (type-locality.)
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
San Gabriel Slender Salamander
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Similar Neighboring Salamanders |
Batrachoseps nigriventris
Batrachoseps major major
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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.
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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.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
None |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
None |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
None |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
USFS:S |
Sensitive |
| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G2 |
Imperiled |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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IUCN:DD |
Data Deficient |
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