California Reptiles & Amphibians

Hydromantes shastae - Shasta Salamander

Click on a picture for a larger view

Range in California: Red

Dot-locality Range Map

Adult, Shasta County

Adult and juvenile, Shasta County

Adult, Shasta County

Flattened body

Juvenile, Shasta County

Underside of adult, Shasta County

Webbed toes

Adult, Shasta County

Juvenile, Shasta County

Habitat

Habitat, Shasta County

Habitat, 1,500 ft., Shasta County

Habitat, Shasta County

Description

Size

Adults measure 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 inches long (4.4 - 6.3 cm) from snout to vent length, and from 3 - 4 1/3 inches (7.5 - 11 cm) in total length.

Appearance

A small plethodontid salamander with a short tail, webbed feet, a flattened body, and a very long mushroomlike tongue capable of extending out up to 2.4 inches (6 cm) from the front of the mouth.
13 costal grooves, and nasolabial grooves. Dark reddish brown above, mottled with grayish green to tan specks, with some yellow on the tail. Venter is grayish.

Behavior and Natural History

Active at night during fall, winter, and spring rains. They may also be active underground in the summer - over 20 were discovered in a cave in August. Can be found under surface objects during daytime. Adapted to climb easily over smooth rock surfaces, using webbed feet and the tail as an aid. Lungless, breathing through thin moist skin.

A similar salamander, Hydromantes platycephalus, feeds by shooting out a very long sticky mushroom-like tongue very quickly to catch prey. You can see examples of this here.

Diet

Probably feeds on insects and other small invertebrates.

Reproduction and Young

Little is known about breeding behavior. Reproduction is terrestrial. Young hatch fully formed. Adults apparently lay eggs in moist limestone shelters in late summer and brood them until they hatch in late fall. Two clutches of 9 eggs were found in a cave by Gorman in 1956. They would have hatched in late October or early November.

Range

Endemic to California in a small area near Shasta Lake, Shasta County.

Habitat

Found around cliff faces, vertical cavern walls and level ground in mixed forests of Douglas fir, pines, and oaks. Lives in moist caves and rock cracks. Mostly associated with limestone outcrops, but one population is found in a volcanic outcrop. Not as adapted for crack dwelling as other Hydromantes species; has less toe webbing and body is less flat. From
At elevations of 1,000 - 3,000 ft. (300 - 900 m).

Taxonomic Notes

Originally discovered in the early 1900's by Eustace Farlong, but not formally described until they were re-discovered by Joseph Gorman in 1950.

H. shastae is one of only three species (thus far) of Hydromantes in the United States, all of which are endemic to California, including H. brunus, and H. platycephalus. The only other members of the genus Hydromantes (now called Speleomantes by some researchers) occur in Italy and southern France. They are the only plethodontid salamanders found outside of the Americas. Why Hydromantes is found only in Europe and California is still an amazing biogeographical mystery, even though it is now accepted that the two populations are different, but similar, genera.

It has been proposed that Hydromantes shastae consists of two species. Click here for more information.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

Listed as a threatened species by the state. This salamander's limited habitat is threatened by increased recreation around shata Lake, limestone quarrying, and raising of lake water levels. Much of its habitat has probably been lost due to dam construction, road building, and mining.

Taxonomy
Family	Plethodontidae	Lungless Salamanders
Genus	*Hydromantes*	Web-toed Salamanders
Species	*shastae*	Shasta Salamander
Original Description
Gorman and Camp, 1953 - Copeia, p. 39 from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Hydromantes: Greek - water/soothsayer or prophet. shastae: Shasta County, California, the type locality. from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
None
Related California Salamanders
Mt. Lyell Salamander Limestone Salamander
More Information and References
Natureserve Explorer California Dept. of Fish and Game AmphibiaWeb Gorman, J. and Camp, C. L. (1953). "A new cave species of salamander of the genus Hydromantes from California, with notes on habits and habitats." Copeia, 1953, 39-43. Thelander, Carl G., editor in chief. Life on the Edge - A Guide to California's Endangered Natural Resources - Wildlife. Berkeley: Bio Systems Books, 1994. 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. Jones, Lawrence L. C. , William P. Leonard, Deanna H. Olson, editors. Amphibians of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Audubon Society, 2005.

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)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	ST	Threatened
California Department of Fish and Game	None
Bureau of Land Management	BLM:S	Sensitive
USDA Forest Service	USFS:S	Sensitive
Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks	G1G2 S1S2	Critically Imperiled
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List	IUCN:VU	Vulnerable

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