Red: Range in California
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| Adult, Monterey County |
Juvenile, coiling defensively,
Monterey County |
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| Adult, Monterey County |
Adult, Monterey County |
Adult, Monterey County |
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| Adult, Monterey County |
Adult, Monterey County |
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| Adult, Monterey County |
Adult, Monterey County |
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| Adult, Monterey County |
Adult, Monterey County © Ryan Sikola |
Adult, Monterey County © Ryan Sikola |
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| Adult, Monterey County © Ryan Sikola |
Adult, Monterey County |
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| Similar Sympatric Species |
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Top: B. gavilanensis - Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamander
Bottom: B. luciae
The ranges of both salamanders meet in one region. They are nearly identical in appearance. At one time they were considered to be the same species,
B. pacificus.
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| Habitat |
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Coastal Redwood Forest Habitat,
Monterey County
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Habitat,
Monterey County
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Coastal Redwood Forest Habitat,
Monterey County
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| Habitat, Monterey County |
Habitat, Monterey County |
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| Short Video |
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Several Santa Lucia Slender Mountains Slender Salamanders are uncovered in Monterey County. |
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| Description |
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| Size |
Adults are 1 1/4 - 1 4/5 inches long (3.2 - 4.6 cm) from snout to vent.
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| Appearance |
A small slim salamander, with 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.
There are four toes on the front and hind feet, which is also typical of Slender Salamanders.
(Other California salamanders have five toes on the hind feet.) |
| Color and Pattern |
The ground color is dark blackish-brown overlayed with a brass or reddish dorsal stripe that is less apparent in older animals. The venter is lighter, grayish brown.
There is some whitish speckling and metallic iridophores
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| Life History and Behavior |
A member of family Plethodontidae, the Plethodontid or Lungless Salamanders.
Plethodontid salamanders do not breathe through lungs. They conduct respiration through their skin and the tissues lining their mouth. This requires them to live in damp environments on land and to move about on the ground only during times of high humidity. (Plethodontid salamanders native to California do not inhabit streams or bodies of water but they are capable of surviving for a short time if they fall into water.)
Plethodontid salamanders are also distinguished by their naso-labial grooves, which are vertical slits between the nostrils and upper lip that are lined with glands associated with chemoreception.
All Plethodontid Salamanders native to California lay eggs in moist places on land.
The young develop in the egg and hatch directly into a tiny terrestrial salamander with the same body form as an adult.
(They do not hatch in the water and begin their lives as tiny swimming larvae breathing through gills like some other types of salamanders.) |
| Activity |
Active on rainy or wet nights when temperatures are moderate.
Along the fog-cooled coastal side of the mountains, salamanders have been found under surface objects year-round.
On the hotter and drier eastern slopes, they probably aestivate underground in the summer.
Typically found under rocks, logs, bark, and other debris. |
| Defense |
Slender salamanders use several defense tactics, including:
- Coiling and remaining still, relying on cryptic coloring to avoid detection.
- Uncoiling quickly and springing away repeatedly bouncing over the ground, then remaining still again to avoid detection.
- Detaching the tail, which wriggles on the ground to distract a predator from the salamander long enough for it to escape.
(After its tail is detached or severed, the salamander will grow a new tail.) |
| Diet and Feeding |
Most likely eats small invertebrates.
Feeding behavior is not known, but other Batrachoseps species are sit-and-wait predators that use a projectile tongue to catch prey. |
| Reproduction |
Reproduction is terrestrial.
Females lay eggs in moist places on land, underground or under surface objects. |
| Eggs |
Captive females from two localities laid average egg clutches of 5.1 and 10.6 eggs.
Eggs hatched in an average of 78 days.
One probable communal nest has been found containing 19 eggs and several adult salamanders. |
| Young |
Young develop completely in the egg and hatch fully formed.
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| Habitat |
Inhabits moist locations in redwood and mixed evergreen forests.
Mostly found on north-facing slopes. Also found in open areas in parks in the city of Monterey.
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| Geographical Range |
Endemic to California.
Found along the western slope of the northern Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey county from the Monterey Peninsula south to near the San Luis Obispo county line, and on the eastern slopes from Arroyo Seco south to at least the 36th parallel. The range limits in southern Monterey County are somewhat in question as B. incognitus is being found in new locations in that area and it is possible the two species may not overlap there.
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| Notes on Taxonomy |
Prior to its description in 2001, B. luciae was recognized as B. pacificus which has been split into ten species based on
molecular studies.
Here's a Diagram of the Batrachoseps Complex showing the relationships between species.
Alternate and Previous Names (Synonyms)
Batrachoseps luciae - Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander (Jockusch, Wake, Yanev 2001, Stebbins 2003, 2012)
Batrachoseps pacificus relictus - Relictual Slender Salamander (Stebbins 1985)
Batrachoseps attenuatus - California Slender Salamander (Stebbins 1954, 1966)
Batrachoseps attenuatus attenuatus - Worm-salamander (Bishop 1943)
Batrachoseps attenuatus - Slender Salamander (Storer 1925)
Batrachoseps nigriventris (Cope 1869)
Batrachoseps attenuatus (Cooper 1868)
Batrachoseps attenuata (Baird 1850)
Salamandrina attenuata (Eschscholtz 1833)
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| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| Listed as imperiled by NatureServe for no specific reason. There are no described significant conservation concerns regarding this species. |
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| Taxonomy |
| Family |
Plethodontidae |
Lungless Salamanders |
Gray, 1850 |
| Genus |
Batrachoseps |
Slender Salamanders |
Bonaparte, 1841 |
Species
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luciae |
Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander |
Jockusch, Yanev & Wake, 2001 |
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Original Description |
Elizabeth L. Jockusch, Kay P. Yanev, and David B. Wake ''Molecular phylogenetic analysis
of slender salamanders, genus Batrachoseps (Amphibia: Plethodontidae), from central coastal
California with descriptions of four new species.'' Herpetological Monographs, #15 2001.
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Batrachoseps: Greek - amphibian, frog lizard - describes lizard-like appearance.
luciae: derived from the Santa Lucia Mountains, the center of the distribution of this species.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Similar Neighboring Salamanders |
Batrachoseps gavilanensis
Batrachoseps incognitus
Batrachoseps nigriventris
Batrachoseps minor
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More Information and References |
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
AmphibiaWeb
Elizabeth L. Jockusch, Kay P. Yanev, and David B. Wake ''Molecular phylogenetic analysis of slender salamanders, genus Batrachoseps (Amphibia: Plethodontidae), from central coastal California with descriptions of four new species.'' Herpetological Monographs, #15 2001.
Hansen, Robert W. and Shedd, Jackson D. California Amphibians and Reptiles. (Princeton Field Guides.) Princeton University Press, 2025.
Stebbins, Robert C., and McGinnis, Samuel M. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Revised Edition (California Natural History Guides) University of California Press, 2012.
Stebbins, Robert C. California Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of California Press, 1972.
Flaxington, William C. Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Field Observations, Distribution, and Natural History. Fieldnotes Press, Anaheim, California, 2021.
Samuel M. McGinnis and Robert C. Stebbins. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles & Amphibians. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2018.
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998.
American Museum of Natural History - Amphibian Species of the World 6.2
Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Amphibians of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009.
Bishop, Sherman C. Handbook of Salamanders. Cornell University Press, 1943.
Lannoo, Michael (Editor). Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University of California Press, June 2005.
Petranka, James W. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution, 1998.
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The following conservation status listings for this animal are taken from the April 2024 State of California Special Animals List and the April 2024 Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Animals of California list (unless indicated otherwise below.) Both lists are produced by multiple agencies every year, and sometimes more than once per year, so the conservation status listing information found below might not be from the most recent lists. To make sure you are seeing the most recent listings, go to this California Department of Fish and Wildlife web page where you can search for and download both lists:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-Animals.
A detailed explanation of the meaning of the status listing symbols can be found at the beginning of the two lists. For quick reference, I have included them on my Special Status Information page.
If no status is listed here, the animal is not included on either list. This most likely indicates that there are no serious conservation concerns for the animal. To find out more about an animal's status you can also go to the NatureServe and IUCN websites to check their rankings.
Check the current California Department of Fish and Wildlife sport fishing regulations to find out if this animal can be legally pursued and handled or collected with possession of a current fishing license. You can also look at the summary of the sport fishing regulations as they apply only to reptiles and amphibians that has been made for this website.
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Status Listing |
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| NatureServe Global Ranking |
G3 |
Vulnerable |
| NatureServe State Ranking |
S3 |
Vulnerable |
| 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 Wildlife |
None |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
None |
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| IUCN |
LC |
Least Concern |
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