A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Black-bellied Slender Salamander -
Batrachoseps nigriventris

Cope, 1869

Click on a picture for a larger view

Range in California: Red and possibly Gray

Dot-locality Range Map

Range Map of all Slender Salamanders in California

Adult, San Luis Obispo County

Adult, San Luis Obispo County

Adult, San Gabriel Mountains,
Los Angeles County

Sub-adult, 1400 ft., San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Adults, 3,800 ft. San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Adult, 3,000 ft. San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Underside of Sub-adult, 1400 ft., San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Underside of adult ,
San Luis Obispo County

Adult found on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, L.A. County © Brian Hinds

Adult, Santa Ana Mountains,
Orange County © Jay Keller

Underside of adult, Santa Ana Mountains, Orange County © Jay Keller

Adult and Juvenile,
Santa Barbara County

Sub-adult, 1400 ft., San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Adult, San Luis Obispo County
© Ryan Sikola

Adult, coastal Southern California
© Ivan Vershynin

Adult, San Luis Obispo County
© Ryan Sikola

Adult, San Luis Obispo County

Santa Cruz Island Population

Adult, Santa Cruz Island, Santa Barbara County

Comparisons With Similar Sympatric Slender Salamander Species

Black-bellied Slender Salamanders, B. nigriventris, and Garden Slender Salamanders, B. m. major, overlap in range in Southern California. Ongoing surveys have found that both species occur throughout most of the L.A. Basin, as well as in the mountains and foothills.

It can be difficult to identify these two species where they both are found because it is hard to tell them apart unless they are side by side and that is not often possible. You can't tell just by the size or the body color alone. Both species are about the same size, and both have similar color variations. The best way to determine the species is to look at the color of the salamander's underside.

(Go to this page for more information about how to differentiate a Black-bellied Slender Salamander from a Garden Slender Salamander.)

If you find a salamander in L.A. or Orange Counties, it could be either species. (If you find it high up in the San Gabriel Mountains, look here.) If you find a Black-bellied Slender Salamander in one of these counties, it will be helpful to those who are tracking their range in the area if you take some pictures and then report your observation at H.E.R.P. and iNaturalist. People there will also help you to confirm your ID as long as you photograph the underside.

Black-bellied Slender Salamander comparison

B. nigriventris (Top)
B. m. major (Bottom)

Note the larger body, legs, and toes of B. m. major.
It can be difficult to identify these two species where they both are found because it is hard to tell them apart unless they are side by side and that is not often possible. You can't always tell just by the body color alone. The best way to determine the species is to look at the coloring of the underside. (See pictures to the right.)

Comparison of the undersides of B. nigriventris (Left) and B. m. major (Right).

B. nigriventris is dark in color on the belly and under the tail.

B. m. major is light gray under the tail and throat and not as dark on the belly.

Batrachoseps incognitus, the San Simeon Slender Salamander (top) occurs with B. nigriventris (bottom) in northern San Luis Obispo County. B. incognitus has slightly larger legs and toes and neck.

The ranges of Batrachoseps gavilanensis, Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamander, and B. nigriventris overlap slightly.

Batrachoseps gabrieli (right) occurs with B. nigriventris (left) at some locations in Los Angeles County. Note the larger more robust limbs and body of B. gabrieli. These two were found next to each other. © William Flaxington

Batrachoseps minor, the Lesser Slender Salamander occurs entirely within the range of B.nigriventris. It is shown here with a small adult specimen of
B. nigriventris which was found outside of the range of B. minor. B. minor has distinctly larger hands and feet.

San Simeon Slender Salamander Comparison

The range of Batrachoseps stebbinsi (bottom) overlaps that of B. nigriventris (top) in a small area in the Ft. Tejon area and the Tehachapi Mountains. These salamaders were found together under the same rock. The B. stebbinsi here is a bit shorter than the B. nigriventris, but note the much larger legs and toes of
B. stebbinsi.

Comparisons of B. nigriventris and B. incognitus

This comparison shows the different head and face shapes of the Lesser Slender Salamander, Batrachoseps minor, shown on the bottom, and the Black-bellied Slender Salamander, B. nigriventris, shown on top. B. minor has a distinctly broader head with more prominent eyes. © Ryan Sikola

Comparison of salamanders found under same log in San Luis Obispo County
© Spencer Riffle

Left: Batrachoseps minor
Right: B. nigriventris

Comparison of salamanders found under same log in San Luis Obispo County
© Spencer Riffle

Right: B. minor
Left: B. nigriventris

Comparison of salamanders found under same log in San Luis Obispo County
© Spencer Riffle

Top: B. minor
Bottom: B. nigriventris

Habitat

Habitat, San Luis Obispo County

Habitat, San Gabriel Mountains,
Los Angeles County

Habitat, San Luis Obispo County

Habitat, 3,800 ft., San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Habitat, Santa Cruz Island

Habitat, 3,800 ft., San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Habitat, 1400 ft., San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County

Short Video

Black-bellied Slender Salamanders squirming around in Santa Barbara County

Description

Size

Adults are 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches long (3.2 - 4.7 cm) from snout to vent.

Appearance

A small slim salamander with 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.
There are four toes on the front and hind feet, which is typical of Slender Salamanders. (Other salamanders found in California have five toes on the hind feet.)
The tail may be up to twice the body length on adults found on the mainland, but only about the size of the body length on adults from Santa Cruz Island.

Color and Pattern

Color above is dark brown or blackish with a reddish, brown, or tan dorsal stripe.
The venter is dark with fine white speckling.

Comparison With Sympatric Slender Salamanders

Co-exists with B. gabrieli at some localities in the San Gabriel Mountains. B. nigriventris has a narrower head, shorter limbs, smaller feet, longer tail.

Coexists with B. m. major in some mountains in Los Angeles and Orange counties. B. m. major is the larger, more robust, of the two species, with longer limbs and a broader neck and head.

Coexists with B. minor in the Coast Range. B. minor is distinguished by its more robust body, broader head and longer and larger limbs with more conspicuous toes than B. nigriventris.

Coexists with B. gavilanensis in the souther part of its range. B. gavilanensis is the larger, more robust, of the two species, with longer limbs and a broader neck and head than B. nigriventris.

Co-exists with B. incognitus in some areas. B. incognitus is the larger, more robust, of the two species, with longer limbs and a broader neck and head than B. nigriventris. The digits of the toes of B. incognitus are individually distinct, and easier to see when compared to B. nigriventris which has smaller digits.

Coexists with B. stebbinsi at several locations in the Tehachapi Mountains where B. stebbinsi can be distinguished by its more robust body with longer legs, largeer feet, distinct toes, and broader head.

Coexists with B. pacificus on Santa Cruz Island. The two species can be differentiated by ventral color - dark on B. nigriventris, and light on B. pacificus, and by the darker color, smaller, slimmer body, and thinner limbs of B. nigriventris.

Life History and Behavior

A member of family Plethodontidae, the Plethodontid or Lungless Salamanders.

Plethodontid salamanders do not breathe through lungs. They conduct respiration through their skin and the tissues lining their mouth. This requires them to live in damp environments on land and to move about on the ground only during times of high humidity. (Plethodontid salamanders native to California do not inhabit streams or bodies of water but they are capable of surviving for a short time if they fall into water.)

Plethodontid salamanders are also distinguished by their naso-labial grooves, which are vertical slits between the nostrils and upper lip that are lined with glands associated with chemoreception.

All Plethodontid Salamanders native to California lay eggs in moist places on land.
The young develop in the egg and hatch directly into a tiny terrestrial salamander with the same body form as an adult.
(They do not hatch in the water and begin their lives as tiny swimming larvae breathing through gills like some other types of salamanders.)

Activity

Active on rainy or wet nights when temperatures are moderate, fall through spring.
Retreats underground when the soil dries or when air temperature drops to near freezing.
Found under rocks, logs, bark, and other debris.

Defense

Slender salamanders use several defense tactics, including:
- Coiling and remaining still, relying on cryptic coloring to avoid detection.
- Uncoiling quickly and springing away repeatedly bouncing over the ground, then remaining still again to avoid detection.
- Detaching the tail, which wriggles on the ground to distract a predator from the salamander long enough for it to escape.
(After its tail is detached or severed, the salamander will grow a new tail.)

Diet and Feeding

Eats a variety of small invertebrates.
Feeding behavior is not well known, but other Batrachoseps species are sit-and-wait predators that use a projectile tongue to catch prey.

Reproduction

Little is known about the Breeding behavior and egg-laying habits of this species.
Reproduction is terrestrial.

Eggs

Slender Salamanders typically lay eggs in moist places on land.
In southern California, B. nigriventris lays eggs in the winter which hatch in winter and early spring.
Eggs have been found in early December in the Coast Range.

Young

Young develop completely in the egg and hatch fully formed.

Habitat

Inhabits mostly oak woodlands but also found in chaparral, grasslands, streamsides, and oak and pine forests.
Found under rocks, logs, bark, and other debris in moist areas.
On Santa Cruz Island, occurs in streamside Eucalyptus forest, under coastal driftwood, in oak woodland, and in open grassland.

South of the Tehachapi Mountains, this species is found mostly in moist mountain and foothills canyons.

Geographical Range

Endemic to California. Found in mountains and valleys of the coast range from southern Monterey County south to the Santa Ana Mountains, including the Tehachapi, Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains east to Cajon Pass. Also found on Santa Cruz Island.

Sympatric with B. gabrieli in the San Gabriel mountains, with B. minor, B. gavilanensis and B. incognitus in the Coast Range, with B. m. major in Los Angeles and Orange counties, with B. stebbinsi in the Tehachapi mountains, and with B. pacificus on Santa Cruz Island.

Elevational Range

From sea level to around 8,200 ft. (2,500 m.)

Notes on Taxonomy

Animals from the western slope of the central and southern Sierra Nevada mountains previously identified as B. nigriventris,
were re-described as B. gregarius in 1998.
In 2000, Wake and Jockusch determined that B. nigriventris consists of three distinct lineages which include those found from Monterey County south to the Tehachapi Mountains, those found south of the Tehachap Mountains from Ventura and Los Angeles south to the Santa Ana Mountains and east to Cajon Pass, and those found on Santa Cruz Island.

Here's a Diagram of the Batrachoseps Complex showing the relationships between species.

Alternate and Previous Names (Synonyms)

Batrachoseps nigriventris - Black-bellied Slender Salamander (Stebbins 1985, 2003, 2012)
Batrachoseps attenuatus - California Slender Salamander (Stebbins 1954, 1966)
Batrachoseps attenuatus attenuatus - Worm-salamander (Bishop 1943)
Batrachoseps attenuatus - Slender Salamander (Storer 1925)
Batrachoseps nigriventris (Cope 1869)
Batrachoseps attenuatus (Cooper 1868)
Batrachoseps attenuata (Baird 1850)
Salamandrina attenuata (Eschscholtz 1833)

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

None

Taxonomy
Family	Plethodontidae	Lungless Salamanders	Gray, 1850
Genus	Batrachoseps	Slender Salamanders	Bonaparte, 1841
Species	nigriventris	Black-bellied Slender Salamander	Cope, 1869
Original Description
Cope, 1869 - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 21, p. 98 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. nigriventris: Latin - black ventris of the belly, referring to the dark venter. from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Similar Neighboring Salamanders
Batrachoseps incognitus Batrachoseps minor Batrachoseps gavilanensis Batrachoseps gabrieli Batrachoseps major major
More Information and References
California Department of Fish and Wildlife AmphibiaWeb Stebbins, Robert C., and McGinnis, Samuel M. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Revised Edition (California Natural History Guides) University of California Press, 2012. Stebbins, Robert C. California Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of California Press, 1972. Samuel M. McGinnis and Robert C. Stebbins. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles & Amphibians. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2018. Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998. 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.

Conservation Status
The following conservation status listings for this animal are taken from the November 2020 California "Special Animals List" and the November 2020 "State and Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Animals of California" list, both of which are produced by multiple agencies and available here: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-Animals. You can check the link to see if there are more recent lists. If no status is listed here, the animal is not included on either list. This most likely indicates that there are no serious conservation concerns for the animal. To find out more about an animal's status you can go to the NatureServe and IUCN websites to check their rankings. 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	Notes
NatureServe Global Ranking
NatureServe State Ranking
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	None
California Department of Fish and Wildlife	None
Bureau of Land Management	None
USDA Forest Service	None
IUCN

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Black-bellied Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps nigriventris

Black-bellied Slender Salamander -
Batrachoseps nigriventris