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Adult, Mariposa County |
Adult, Mariposa County |
Adult, Mariposa County |
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Juvenile, Mariposa County |
Adult, Mariposa County |
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Juvenile, Mariposa County |
Webbed hind foot |
Adult, Mariposa County |
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Adult, Mariposa County |
Habitat overview, Mariposa County |
Habitat, 1,500 ft., Mariposa County |
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Adult, Mariposa County |
Habitat, Mariposa County |
Habitat, Mariposa County |
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Description |
| Size |
| Adults measure 2 - 3 inches long (5 - 7.5 cm) from snout to vent length. |
| Appearance |
| A medium-sized plethodontid salamander. Toes are webbed, head and body flattened. Breathes through its smooth moist thin skin instead of lungs. 13 costal grooves, and nasolabial grooves. Toe tips of adpressed limbs overlap by 1.5 costal folds. Adults are a brownish color above with a pale ventral surface. Juveniles are yellowish green above, darkening with age. Males have an oval-shaped mental gland and upper jaw teeth. |
| Behavior |
| Little is know about the natural history of this species. H. brunus is active during wet or rainy periods in fall, winter, and spring when temperatures are not exceedingly low. Inactive during extreme winter weather and during hot, dry periods in spring, summer, and fall. When threatened, this salamander has been observed coiling and rolling downhill to escape.
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| Diet |
| Probably consumes a variety of invertebrates. |
| Reproduction |
| Lays eggs on land. Young hatch fully formed. Breeding males have a well-developed mental gland. |
| Range |
| Endemic to California. Found along the Merced River from Lake McClure to about 4 miles NE of Briceburg, Mariposa County. Also occurs along the Merced River tributaries including Bear Creek and its feeder creeks, south of Briceburg. |
| Habitat |
| H.brunus inhabits mossy limestone crevices and talus in Grey Pine/Oak/Buckeye/Chaparral belt of the lower Merced Canyon. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| Discovered in 1952, H.brunus has always been considered a distinct taxon. It is one of only three species (thus far) of Hydromantes in the United States, all of which are endemic to California, including H. platycephalus, and H. shastae. The only other members of the genus Hydromantes (now called Speleomantes by some researchers) occur in Italy and southern France. They are the only plethodontid salamanders found outside of the Americas. Why Hydromantes is found only in Europe and California is an amazing biogeographical mystery. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| This salamander is listed as a threatened species by the state, due to its limited range and habitat. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Plethodontidae |
Lungless Salamanders |
| Genus |
Hydromantes |
Web-toed Salamanders |
Species
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brunus |
Limestone Salamander |
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Original Description |
Gorman, 1954 - Herpetologica, Vol. 10, p. 153
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Hydromantes: Greek - water/soothsayer or prophet
brunus: Latin - brown, referring to the color of adults.
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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Related California Salamanders |
Shasta Salamander
Mt. Lyell Salamander
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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) |
ST |
Threatened |
| California Department of Fish and Game |
DFG:SSC |
California Species of Special Concern |
| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
USFS:S |
Sensitive |
| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G1 |
Critically Imperiled |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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IUCN:VU |
Vulnerable |
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