California Reptiles & Amphibians

Ambystoma macrodactylum sigillatum - Southern Long-toed Salamander

Click on a picture for a larger view

Range in California: Red

Green: Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander

Adult, Alpine County

Juvenile, Alpine County

Adult, Alpine County (missing the fingers of one hand)

Toe number 4 on each hind foot is enlarged.

Adult, Butte County
© Mela Garcia

Adult, Plumas County
© Alan Barron

Normal and melanistic adults,
Alpine County

Old aquatic larva, Siskiyou County.

Old larva, with legs tucked in for swimming, Siskiyou County

Aquatic Larva, Alpine County

Breeding pond, late summer, 6,000 ft. Siskiyou County.

Breeding pond, late Spring, 8,300 ft., Alpine County

Breeding pond, late Spring, 8,400 ft., Alpine County

Breeding pond, late Spring, 8,500 ft., Alpine County

Short Videos

A larval salamander swims around in an aquarium, using its legs, body and tail to propel itself.

Larval salamanders swim around in a pond in a forest clearing on a sunny September day in Siskiyou County.

Description

Size

Adults are 1 3/5 to 3 1/2 inches long (4.1 - 8.9 cm) from snout to vent, 4 to 6 2/3 inches (10 - 17 cm) in total length.

Appearance

A small ambystomatid salamander. Dusky or black above with a yellow dorsal stripe, usually interrupted by dark blotches. Sides are sprinkled with whitish specks. Venter grey or black. Stout body, broad rounded head, blunt snout, small protuberant eyes, no nasolabial grooves. Tail flattened from side to side to facilitate swimming. Transformed adults have lungs and 12 - 13 costal grooves. Can be neotenic or remained gilled adults.

Behavior

Transformed adults are most likely found under wood, logs, rocks, bark and other objects near breeding sites which can include ponds, lakes, and streams, or when breeding in the water. At other times of the year they stay in rotten logs or moist places underground such as animal burrows. Larvae have broad heads, three pairs of bushy gills and broad caudal fins that extend well onto the back.

Diet

Eats small invertebrates.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs in permanent or temporary ponds, lakes and flooded meadows in spring and early summer, sometimes entering ponds not yet free of ice. Eggs are attached singly or in loose clusters to the undersides of logs and branches in deep water and incubate for 2 - 5 weeks. Larvae may not transform until their second or third season, especially at high elevations or where temperatures are low.

Range

Northeast California south through the Sierra Nevada to Garner Meadows and Spicer Reservoir.

Habitat

Inhabits alpine meadows, high mountain ponds and lakes, up to about 10,000 ft.

Taxonomic Notes

Four subspecies of Ambysoma macrodactylum are recognized, two occur in California, including A. m. croceum.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

None

Taxonomy
Family	Ambystomatidae	Mole Salamanders
Genus	Ambystoma	Mole Salamanders
Species	macrodactylum	Long-toed Salamander
Subspecies	sigillatum	Southern Long-toed Salamander
Original Description
Ambystoma macrodactylum - Baird, 1849 - Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, Vol. 1, p. 292 Ambystoma macrodactylum sigillatum - Ferguson, 1961 - Amer. Midland Nat., Vol. 65, 1961, p. 316 from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Ambystoma: anabystoma - to cram into the mouth. Possibly derived from Amblystoma: Greek - blunt mouth. macrodactylum: Greek - long toe sigillatum: Latin - adorned with images or figures, referring to the color pattern. from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
None
Related or Similar California Salamanders
Santa Cruz Long-toed salamander California Tiger Salamander Western Long-toed Salamander Central Long-toed Salamander
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.

Conservation Status
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. 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
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)
California Department of Fish and Game
Bureau of Land Management
USDA Forest Service
Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List