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This is the holotype (the animal designated as the type specimen for the original publication), © Arden Brame, courtesy of Harold De Lisle. |
Desert surrounding the restricted canyon habitat, Riverside County.
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Habitat |
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Palm Canyon habitat, courtesy of Eddie Konno
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In the spring of 2006 I was fortunate to be allowed to hike down into a protected canyon to assist the California Department of Fish and Game in a survey for Desert Slender Salamanders. When we arrived, we could see where water from an unusually heavy rain storm the previous October had poured down the cliff above the canyon and washed away a great deal of vegetation, including the area where the salamanders have been found. In a casual search of available cover, we were unable to locate any salamanders, but Desert Slender Salamanders most likely continue to survive in this location since they have been subjected to such flooding over the millenia, (including a severe storm in 1976.)
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Description |
| Size |
| Adults are 1 1/4 - 2 inches long (3.1-5 cm) from snout to vent. |
| Appearance |
| A fairly broad-headed and long-legged slender salamander with a relatively short tail and 16-19 costal grooves (usually 18). There are 3.5-6.5 costal folds between adpressed limbs. 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 typical of Slender Salamanders. (Other California salamanders have five toes on the hind feet.) Adults have a pale grey, white or pink coloration dorsally due to a suffusion of silver or brassy flecks. The underside of the tail is paler than the dark belly. Young lack the speckling of the adults. |
| Behavior and Natural History |
Breathes through thin moist skin instead of lungs. Although it occurs amidst one of the harshest climates in the world, B. m. aridus has been found during every month of the year - even in the middle of summer - which indicates that they are active whenever surface conditions are favorable.
Most of the specimens of this salamander exhibited a defensive behavior unique to slender salamanders when they werre uncovered in the field. They coiled their body while elevating their tail. The combination of these two behaviors has not been observed in any other species of slender salamander.
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| Diet |
| Most likely eats a variety of small invertebrates. Salamanders have been observed feeding at night capturing small insect with their projectile tongue. |
| Reproduction |
| Reproduction is terrestrial. Nothing is known of the reproductive habits of B. m. aridus. Females of other Batrachoseps species lay eggs in moist places on land with the young hatching fully formed. It is presumed that eggs are laid in deep moist limestone crevices. |
| Range |
| Endemic to California. B.m.aridus has one of the most limited geographic distributions of any North American amphibian. Thus far it is only known from two localities on the east slope of the Santa Rosa Mountains: Hidden Palm Canyon (a tributary to Deep Canyon) 2,800 ft., (850 m) and Guadalupe Canyon, about 4.5 miles - 8 km (by air) to the south-east. Numbers of salamanders found at a given locality within Guadalupe Canyon have been fewer than those found in Hidden Palm Canyon. |
| Habitat |
| In Hidden Palm Canyon, B.m. aridus inhabits a moist cliff and the talus beneath it, as well as associated springs at the oasis. The cliff has a year-round seep covered in Maidens- Hair Fern, and shaded by California Fan Palms and Willow trees. The habitat surrounding the canyon is dry sonoran desert scrub. Salamander sites are shaded and do not get much direct sunlight. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
Discovered in 1969 and formerly recognized as a full species, Batrachoseps aridus.
Based on a recommendation by Wake and Jockusch, B.aridus was synonymized with Batrachoseps major in 2002.
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| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
The habitat of this salamander is very fragile. The Hidden Palm Canyon site is a State Ecological Preserve that can only be entered with a permit. This salamander is currently protected by California law.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study published June 17, 2009 reports that no salamanders have been found during CDFG searches since 1996, but these searches have only been casual cursory searches of surface cover, because a more thorough search would damage the fragile habitat. Since the salamanders most likely remain deep in limestone crevices by day, emerging at night to feed, a night survey would be the best search method.
The study also mentions that the salamander habitat could have been damaged if the hydrology of the area was modified by highway construction that resulted in more damaging flows during storms. Climate change could also be causing increased evaporation leaving less moisture for salamander habitat. Introduced water-hungry Tamarisk trees may also be a threat to the Guadalupe Canyon population. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Plethodontidae |
Lungless Salamanders |
| Genus |
Batrachoseps |
Slender Salamanders |
| Species |
major |
Garden Slender Salamander |
Subspecies
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aridus |
Desert Slender Salamander |
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Original Description |
Brame, Arden. H., Jr. "A new species of Batrachoseps (slender salamander) from the desert of southern
California." Contributions in Science. Los Angeles County Museum, 200. 1970
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Batrachoseps: Greek - amphibian, frog lizard - describes lizard-like appearance.
aridus: probably refers to the desert habitat surrounding the type locality oasis.
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
Formerly recognized as a full species: Batrachoseps aridus
and before that as Batrachoseps major - Garden Slender Salamander
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Similar Neighboring Salamanders |
Batrachoseps major major - Garden Slender Salamander
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
AmphibiaWeb
Brame, A. H., Jr. "A new species of Batrachoseps (slender salamander) from the desert of southern California." Contributions in Science. Los Angeles County Museum, 200. 1970
Thelander, C. G., ed., 1994. Life on the Edge: A Guide to California's Endangered Natural Resources Volume I: Wildlife. Biosystems Books, Santa Cruz, California.
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.
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 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) |
FE |
Endangered |
| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
SE |
Endangered |
| California Department of Fish and Game |
None |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
None |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G4T1 S1 |
Apparently Secure |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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