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Adult, Caliente Creek, Kern County |
Adult, Caliente Creek, Kern County |
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Adult, Caliente Creek, Kern County |
Adult, Caliente Creek, Kern County |
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Adult, Caliente Creek, Kern County
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| Adult, Fort Tejon area, Tehachapi Moutnains, Kern County |
Adult, Fort Tejon area, Tehachapi Moutnains, Kern County
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Habitat, 2,500 ft., Caliente Creek, Kern County |
Habitat, 3,500 ft elevation, Fort Tejon area, Tehachapi Mountains, Kern County
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Habitat, 2,500 ft., Caliente Creek, Kern County |
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Description |
| Size |
| Adults are 2 - 2 2/5 inches long (5.1 - 6.1 cm) from snout to vent, 3.5 - 5 inches (9 - 13 cm) in total length. |
| Appearance |
| A medium-sized plethodontid salamander, which breathes through smooth moist thin skin. 18 - 19 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.) Relatively large and robust when compared with most Slender Salamanders, having a fairly broad head, long legs, broad feet, shorter tail, and toes that appear to be slightly more webbed than with other Batrachoseps species. Color is reddish or brownish. Light beige, tan, black, patches and blotches may form an indistinct dorsal stripe with uneven edges. |
| Behavior |
| Little is known of the natural history of this species. Most Batrachoseps 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. B. stebbinsi may have a shorter activity period due to the dryness of its habitat. Batrachoseps species, when disturbed, may coil up and remain still, then uncoil quickly and spring away, repeatedly bouncing over the ground. The tail is easily broken off, but it can be regenerated. Batrachoseps are generally sit-and-wait predators.
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| Diet |
| Eats a variety of small invertebrates. |
| Reproduction |
| Batrachoseps typically lay eggs in moist places on land. Young hatch fully formed.
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| Range |
| Endemic to California. Found in scattered populations in the Caliente Creek drainage in the Paiute Mountains, and through the Tehachapi Mountains to Fort Tejon. |
| Habitat |
| Inhabits moist canyons and ravines in oak and mixed woodlands. Found under rocks, logs, bark, and other debris in moist areas, especially in areas with much leaf-litter, often near talus slopes. From 2,000 - 4,600 ft. (610 - 1,400 m.) |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| Coexists with B. nigriventris at several locations in the Tehachapi Mountains where it can be distinguished by its long legs, large feet, distinct toes, and broad head. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| Listed as a threatened species by the State of California because the limited sites it inhabits makes it extremely vulnerable to any changes in its habitat. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Plethodontidae |
Lungless Salamanders |
| Genus |
Batrachoseps |
Slender Salamanders |
Species
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stebbinsi |
Tehachapi Slender Salamander |
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Original Description |
Brame and Murray, 1968 - Sci. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Co., No. 4, p. 18
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Batrachoseps: Greek - amphibian, frog lizard - describes lizard-like appearance.
stebbinsi: Honors Robert C. Stebbins.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
None
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Similar Neighboring Salamanders |
Batrachoseps relictus
Batrachoseps robustus
Batrachoseps simatus
Batrachoseps gregarious
Batrachoseps sp. Fairview/Upper Kern Canyon
Breckenridge Mountain Batrachoseps
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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.
Thelander, C. G., ed. Life on the Edge: A Guide to California's Endangered Natural Resources Volume I: Wildlife.
Biosystems Books, Santa Cruz, California. 1994.
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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) |
ST |
Threatened |
| California Department of Fish and Game |
None |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
BLM:S |
Sensitive |
| USDA Forest Service |
None |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G2 |
Imperiled |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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IUCN:VU |
Vulnerable |
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