Range in California: Red
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| Adult, Fresno County |
Adult, Fresno County |
Adult, Fresno County |
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| Adult, Fresno County |
Adult, Fresno County |
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Comparisons with similar sympatric or allopatric slender salamanders. |
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B. kawia / B. regius
No noticeable size differences in body, feet, or toes.
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B. diabolicus / B. regius
No noticeable size differences in body, feet, or toes.
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B. gregarius / B. regius
B. gregarius has a slimmer body with smaller feet and toes. |
Habitat |
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| Habitat, 1,100 ft., Fresno County |
Habitat, 1,100 ft., Fresno County |
Habitat, Kings River, Fresno County
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Habitat, Kings River, Fresno County
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Habitat, Kings River, Fresno County
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| Short Video |
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A salamander found under a rock sits still then races into a hole with the typical frantic springing back and forth movement of a slender salamander in a hurry. |
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Description |
Size |
| Adults are 1 1/4 - 1 3/8 inches long (3.2 - 3.5 cm) from snout to vent. |
| Appearance |
A small slim salamander with 18-19 costal grooves. The head is relatively broad with a distinct neck. 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 also typical of Slender Salamanders. (Other California salamanders have five toes on the hind feet.) Color is blackish above with little pattern. A dorsal stripe is usually present, but it may be so close to the dorsal coloring that it is not apparent. Sometimes the stripe is broad and light brown to tan. The venter is a gray that is much lighter than other coloring. Many faded white spots on the back and sides.
Occurs in sympatry in some locations with B. gregarius. In comparison, B. gregarius has a narrower head, shorter limbs, |
| Behavior and Natural History |
A member of family Plethodontidae, the Plethodontid or Lungless Salamanders.
Lungless Salamanders breathe through their skin which requires them to live in damp environments on land and to move about on the ground only during times of high humidity. (In California, they do not inhabit streams or bodies of water, but they are capable of surviving for some time if they fall into water.)
Lungless salamanders are distinguished by their naso-labial grooves, which are vertical slits between the nostrils and upper lip that are lined with glands used in chemoreception. All California Lungless Salamanders lay eggs in moist places on land. The young hatch from the egg 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, as occurs with other types of salamanders.)Little is known about this species. Most Slender Salamander species are active on rainy or wet nights when temperatures are moderate, fall through spring, retreating underground when the soil dries or when air temperature drops to near freezing. At higher elevations, activity may be restricted to spring and early summer and early fall.
Found under rocks, logs, bark, and other debris.
Typical of most Slender Salamanders, when disturbed, this salamander may coil up and remain still, relying on cryptic coloring to avoid detection. It might also uncoil quickly and spring away, repeatedly bouncing over the ground, or drop its tail to distract a predator. The tail is easily broken off, but it can be regenerated.
Feeding behavior is not well known, but other Batrachoseps species are sit-and-wait predators that use a projectile tongue to catch prey.
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| Diet |
| Most likely eats a variety of small invertebrates. |
| Reproduction and Young |
| Little is known about the breeding behavior of this species. Reproduction is terrestrial. Breeding and egg-laying probably occurs during the rainy period from November to January. All species of Slender Salamanders lay eggs, typically in moist places on land. Young hatch fully formed. |
| Range |
Endemic to California. Found on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in Fresno County on the south and east sides of the North Fork of the the Kings River, and from Summit Meadow in the drainage of the South Fork of the Kings River.
Also found on the middle fork of the Kaweah River drainage in Tulare County.
At elevations of 1,100 ft.- 8,100 ft. (335 - 2,470 m).
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| Habitat |
| Inhabits shaded areas of mixed chaparral, oak, and pines. Salamanders have been found in talus, under rocks, under downed logs, and in leaf litter. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| Prior to its description in 1998, B. regius was identified as B. relictus. B. relictus was partitioned into four species - B. diabolicus, B. regius, B. kawia and B. relictus. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| Listed as vulnerable or imperiled, probably due to it's limited habitat at high altitudes where amphibians are generally imperiled. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Plethodontidae |
Lungless Salamanders |
| Genus |
Batrachoseps |
Slender Salamanders |
Species
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regius |
Kings River Slender Salamander |
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Original Description |
Jockusch, E. L., D. B. Wake, and K. P. Yanev. "New species of slender salamanders, Batrachoseps
(Amphibia: Plethodontidae), from the Sierra Nevada of California." Contributions in Science, Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County, #472 1998.
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Batrachoseps: Greek - amphibian, frog lizard - describes lizard-like appearance.
regius: Latin - king, in reference to the region of the Kings River, the type locality.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
Formerly recognized as Batrachoseps pacificus.
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Similar Neighboring Salamanders |
B. gregarius
B. relictus
B. kawia
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
AmphibiaWeb
Jockusch, E. L., D. B. Wake, and K. P. Yanev. "New species of slender salamanders, Batrachoseps (Amphibia: Plethodontidae), from the Sierra Nevada of California." Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, #472 1998.
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.
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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 |
None |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G1 S1 |
Critically Imperiled |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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IUCN:VU |
Vulnerable |
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