| Santa Cruz black salamander | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Subfamily: | Plethodontinae |
| Genus: | Aneides |
| Species: | A. niger |
| Binomial name | |
| Aneides niger Myers & Maslin, 1948 | |
The Santa Cruz black salamander (Aneides niger) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the U.S. state of California. [2] [3] [4]
Originally described by George S. Myers and Thomas P. Maslin in 1948 as a subspecies of the speckled black salamander (A. flavipunctatus), a 2019 taxonomic study found A. flavipunctatus to represent a species complex and A. niger to thus represent a distinct species, and reclassified it as such. [3] [5]
This is the southernmost member of the A. flavipunctatus complex, and it is disjunct from all other members of the complex. It is restricted to the San Francisco Peninsula of California, where it inhabits San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and western Santa Clara counties. [3] [6]
Unlike all other members of the Aneides flavipunctatus complex, adult individuals of this species have an almost uniformly black coloration; juveniles have numerous tiny white spots, as with other members of the complex, that are progressively lost as the individual matures. [5]
It is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its limited range, much of which has been developed over, has been affected by water diversions, or has been affected by recent severe wildfires such as the CZU complex fires. Climate change may also affect it due to it inhabiting an area that is already hotter and drier than other Aneides species. [1]
Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders, are a family of salamanders. Most species are native to the Western Hemisphere, from British Columbia to Brazil, although a few species are found in Sardinia, Europe south of the Alps, and South Korea. In terms of number of species, they are by far the largest group of salamanders.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, located in Santa Cruz County, about 36 km (22 mi) northwest of Santa Cruz. The park contains almost all of the Waddell Creek watershed, which was formed by the seismic uplift of its rim, and the erosion of its center by the many streams in its bowl-shaped depression.
Holbrook's southern dusky salamander, previously known as just the southern dusky salamander, is a species of salamander endemic to the southeastern United States. Older sources often refer to it as the eared triton. Formerly abundant, it has precipitously declined since the 1960s.
Climbing salamanders is the common name for plethodontid (lungless) salamanders of the genus Aneides. It contains 10 species native to North America, distributed between the Pacific Coast, Sacramento Mountains, and Appalachian Mountains. As their common name suggests, most of these species have prehensile tails and are quite mobile in trees.
The clouded salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Pacific Northwest. Its natural habitat is temperate forests and it is probable that many nest in trees. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The speckledblack salamander, previously known as just the black salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the U.S. state of California. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Sacramento Mountain salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to mountainous regions of New Mexico in the United States. Its natural habitat is temperate forests where it is threatened by habitat loss.
The wandering salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It has a disjunct distribution, with one population being found in northern California in the United States, and another in British Columbia, Canada. It is a matter of debate whether this distribution is the result of human introductions or whether it has natural origins, with the latter conclusion being supported by more evidence. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss from logging.
The Gabilan Mountains slender salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to California in the United States, where it is distributed along the Central Coast region from Santa Cruz to northern Kern County.
The shovelnose salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States.
Ixalotriton niger, the black jumping salamander, is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rocky areas and it is threatened by habitat loss.
Nototriton barbouri is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Honduras.
The green salamander is a species of lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It and the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander are the only currently-described members of the genus Aneides that inhabit any areas in the eastern half of United States. Rarely seen in the field, the green salamander is an extremely habitat-specific species that is seldom found away from its preferred surroundings: moist, shaded rock crevices.
Leslie Jane Rissler is an American biologist best known for her work on amphibian and reptile biogeography, evolutionary ecology, systematics, and conservation, and for her strong advocacy of improving the public’s understanding and appreciation of evolution. She is currently Program Officer in the Evolutionary Processes Cluster of the Division of Environmental Biology and Directorate of Biological Sciences at the National Science Foundation.
The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander is a species of lungless salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the Hickory Nut Gorge in the state of North Carolina in the United States.
The Shasta black salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Shasta County in California.
The Klamath black salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the western United States.
