California Reptiles & Amphibians

Batrachoseps diabolicus - Hell Hollow Slender Salamander

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Range in California: Red

Range Map of Southern Sierra
Nevada Slender Salamanders

Dot-locality Range Map

Adult, Mariposa County

B. attenuatus and B. diabolicus

B. regius and B. diabolicus

B. gregarius and B. diabolicus

Comparisons of Slender Salamanders occuring with or near B. diabolicus

Creekside Habitat, 1,500 ft.,
Mariposa County

Habitat, Merced River,
Mariposa County

Habitat, Hell Hollow, 1,500 ft.,
Mariposa County

Description

Size

Adults are 1 - 1/4 to 1-7/8 inches long (3.2 - 4.7 cm) from snout to vent.

Appearance

A small plethodontid salamander with a relatively broad head and slightly defined neck. Appearance is worm-like. Limbs are fairly long, and hands and feet are large for the genus. Fingers/toes are long and distinct, with expanded tips. 4 toes on front and hind feet, typical of Slender Salamanders. (Other California salamanders have 5 toes on the hind feet.) Coloration is dark dorsally with a brownish stripe that is usually brighter at it's edges and continues onto head. There is extensive pale speckling on both the dorsal surface and the grey ventral surface.

Behavior

Active on rainy or wet nights when temperatures are moderate. Retreats underground when the soil dries or when air temperature gets below freezing. Lives and lays eggs in moist places on land. A sit-and-wait predator.

Diet

Eats small invertebrates.

Reproduction

Lays eggs in moist places. Young hatch fully formed.

Range

Endemic to California. B.diabolicus is the northernmost representative of the relictus group, ranging from the north bank of the north fork of the American River, Placer County, south along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the Merced River, Mariposa County.

Habitat

Populations tend to occur along riparian zones in close proximity to large rivers and streams. North-facing slopes are preferred, and individuals are usually found beneath rock talus and large stones and other surface cover shaded by oak trees that dominate the region. Elevational range is from 200 m to approximately 650 m.

Taxonomic Notes

B. diabolicus was very recently described in 1998 by Jockusch, Wake, and Yanev. It is a relictus-type slender salamander, allied with the other Sierran forms such as B.regius, B.kawia, and B.relictus. B.diabolicus may actually represent two distinct species, but further studies are needed. The common name of this species reflects the type-locality: Hell Hollow, Mariposa County.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

Uncertain.

Taxonomy
Family	Plethodontidae	Lungless Salamanders
Genus	Batrachoseps	Slender Salamanders
Species	diabolicus	Hell Hollow Slender Salamander
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.
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Batrachoseps: Greek - amphibian, frog lizard - describes lizard-like appearance. diabolicus: Greek - devilish. Referring to the name of the type locality, Hell Hollow. from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
Formerly recognized as Batrachoseps nigriventris - Black-bellied Slender Salamander
Similar Neighboring Salamanders
B. attenuatus - California Slender Salamander B. gregarius - Gregarious Slender 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.

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.
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	G2	Imperiled
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List	IUCN:DD	Data Difficient