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Adult male, Del Norte County |
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Adult male, Del Norte County |
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Adult female, Del Norte County |
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Adult female, Del Norte County |
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| Adult male, Del Norte County, south of Crescent city from a location far from permanent water. © Alan Barron |
Dark adult male, Del Norte County, north of Smith River © Alan Barron |
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Adult, Del Norte County |
Small larva underwater |
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Tiny hatchling underwater (note small gills) Del Norte County, north of Smith River © Alan Barron |
Larva out of water, Del Norte County, north of Smith River
© Alan Barron |
Large larvae, Del Norte County, north of Smith River © Alan Barron |
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Underside of larvae, Del Norte County, north of Smith River © Alan Barron |
Habitat, Humboldt County |
Habitat close-up, Del Norte County
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Habitat, Mendocino County
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Habitat, Del Norte County |
Habitat, Del Norte County |
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Description |
| Size |
| Adults are 1.5 - 2.4 inches long (4.0-6.2 cm) from snout to vent. |
| Appearance |
| A medium-sized salamander with a slim body, a short tail, and a small head with large protuberant eyes. A Olive to brown dorsally with dark and light speckling. Ventral surface yellowish, similarly speckled. Eyes are large and dark, flecked with metallic gold. Males have distinct squareish cloacal lobes. Adults with reduced lungs. |
| Behavior |
| Adults are active even at very low temperatures, as cold as 5-10 degrees C, and are extremely moisture dependant. Aquatic larvae live in clear shallow water and still, mucky water in creeks, often with accumulated leaves. |
| Diet |
| Diet consists primarily of amphipods, springtails, and other small invertebrates. |
| Reproduction |
| Little is known about the seasonal reproductive habits of Rhyacotriton sp. Single, loosely laid, pigmentless eggs (~4.5 mm diameter) are abandoned after laying and hatch after 210 days. Larvae, ~14 mm at hatching, may take 3-5 years to metamorphose, at which time they are 3.1-4.0 cm. Larvae have short stubby gills and tail fin that does not extend onto the back. |
| Range |
| In California, this species occurs throughout humid coastal drainages from near Pt. Arena in southern Mendocino Co., to the Oregon border in the coniferous belt, and north into Oregon along the coast and inland into the Cascade Mountains. A single record exists from the Sacramento River drainage near Dunsmuir, Siskiyou Co. |
| Habitat |
| Habitat includes cold, clear well-shaded streams, waterfalls and seepages, particularly those running through talus and under rocks all year. R. variegatus is found primarily on north-facing slopes in the southern part of their range where forests are warmer and drier. Sea level to from 4,500 ft. - 5,000 ft. (1,390 - 1,500 m). |
| Taxonomic Notes |
Previously recognized as a subspecies of Rhyacotriton olympicus. Good et al. (1987) found considerable genetic variation within the complex, which eventually led to the elevation of variegatus to full species status.
Highton (2000) proposed that R. variegatus consists of four separate species. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| Severely impacted by clear-cutting of old-growth forests near drainages. According to Stebbins (2003), aproximately 50 - 90 percent of suitable habitat in California has been altered or eliminated through overharvesting of old-growth forests and destruction of small seeps and springs. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Rhyacotritonidae |
Torrent or Seep Salamanders |
| Genus |
Rhyacotriton |
Torrent Salamanders |
Species
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variegatus |
Southern Torrent Salamander |
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Original Description |
Stebbins and Lowe, 1951 - Univ. California Publ. Zool. Vol. 50, No. 4, p. 471
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Rhyacotriton: Greek - stream & Triton - Greek sea god.
variegatus: Latin - variegated, referring to the dorsal color/pattern.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
Formerly - Rhyacotriton olympicus variegatus - Southern Olympic Salamander
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Related Western Salamanders |
Rhyacotriton kezeri - Columbia Torrent Salamander
Rhyacotriton cascadae - Cascades Torrent Salamander
Rhyacotriton olympicus - Olympic Torrent 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.
Corkran, Charlotte & Chris Thoms. Amphibians of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, 1996.
Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005.
Leonard et. al. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, 1993.
Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983.
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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 |
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 |
G3 |
Vulnerable |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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IUCN:LC |
Least Concern |
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