Overview
The desert slender salamander is a small, subterranean amphibian from the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae). We still don't know a great deal about the life history and ecology of this species, with much of the available information has been presumed through studying closely related species. Threats to the species include: erosion, fire, non-native plants, groundwater pumping, disease, climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change and small population size.
Scientific Name
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Physical Characteristics
Adults are less than four inches in total length, with females being slightly larger than males.
It has a fairly broad head, long legs and short tail. The ventral, or underside, color of adults is blackish maroon on the belly and gular area, with a buff-colored tail venter, or underside or abdominal area. The dorsum, or upper side, is blackish maroon with a suffusion of silver- to brass-colored shiny flecks that are interspersed with larger patches of metallic golden-orange. Young are black to dark brown and typically lack the brassy tint of adults. Species from this family breathe entirely through their thin moist skin, and have a unique tooth pattern, which is reflected in the science name for the family meaning, which means many teeth.
Life Cycle
Not much is known about the reproductive cycle of desert slender salamander, but it is thought that courtship and breeding take place immediately after the first heavy rains of the winter, with egg laying occurring very shortly thereafter.
Food
The desert slender salamander likely feeds on a variety of small arthropods that are found in moist, dark places.
Habitat
The species primarily lives in moist subterranean spaces like porous soil, bedrock fractures, crevices under limestone sheets, talus, which is defined as a sloping mass of rock debris, above seeps and in animal burrows.
Areas where ground water meets the surface.
Geography
The species has historically been reported from two locations in Riverside County, California - Hidden Palm Canyon and Guadalupe Canyon. Both canyons are encompassed within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument area.
Timeline
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