Slender salamander

Batrachoseps is a genus of lungless salamanders (Plethodontids) often called Slender salamanders. They can be distinguished from other lungless salamanders by the four toes they have on each foot.

Slender salamanders
Batrachoseps attenuatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Hemidactyliinae
Genus: Batrachoseps
Bonaparte, 1839
Species

See table

Their genus name Batracho-seps means "frog-lizard", in reference to their projectile tongues.

Diet and physiology

The lungless salamanders, in addition to having no lungs, have long slender snake-shaped bodies with very small limbs that appear almost vestigial in several species.[1] Their main diet consists of small insects, such as springtails, small bark beetles, crickets, young snails, mites, and spiders. Like all salamanders in this family, they have long frog-like projectile tongues which they use to grab their prey in a flash.

Unlike all other amphibians (and birds, and lizards, and nearly all fish) mature red blood cells in of species in the genus Batrachoseps have no nucleus, which is a trait that is only known to occur in mammals and certain species of antarctic fish.[2]

Distribution

Batrachoseps range from Oregon and California (USA) to northern Baja California (Mexico). Slender salamanders in California tolerate diverse variety of environments, as long as their basic needs are met.[3]

Species

21 species are recognized in this genus, but their taxonomy is uncertain. Some species may in fact be subspecies of others, and some subspecies may be distinct species of their own. Genetic analysis is in process.

Batrachoseps gavilanensis – Gabilan Mountains slender salamander
California slender salamanderBatrachoseps attenuatusEschscholtz, 1833
Inyo Mountains slender salamanderBatrachoseps campiMarlow, Brode & Wake, 1979
Hell Hollow slender salamanderBatrachoseps diabolicusJockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998
San Gabriel slender salamanderBatrachoseps gabrieliWake, 1996
Gabilan Mountains slender salamander Batrachoseps gavilanensisJockusch, Yanev & Wake, 2001
Gregarious slender salamanderBatrachoseps gregariusJockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998
San Simeon slender salamanderBatrachoseps incognitusJockusch, Yanev & Wake, 2001
Sequoia slender salamanderBatrachoseps kawiaJockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998
San Lucia Mountains slender salamanderBatrachoseps luciaeJockusch, Yanev & Wake, 2001
Garden slender salamanderBatrachoseps majorCamp, 1915
Lesser slender salamanderBatrachoseps minorJockusch, Yanev & Wake, 1998
Black-bellied slender salamanderBatrachoseps nigriventrisCope, 1869
Pacific slender salamanderBatrachoseps pacificus(Cope, 1865)
King's River slender salamanderBatrachoseps regiusJockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998
Relictual slender salamanderBatrachoseps relictusBrame & Murray, 1968
Kern Plateau slender salamanderBatrachoseps robustusWake, Yanev & Hansen, 2002
Kern Canyon slender salamanderBatrachoseps simatusBrame & Murray, 1968
Tehachapi slender salamanderBatrachoseps stebbinsiBrame & Murray, 1968
Oregon slender salamanderBatrachoseps wrighti(Bishop, 1937)
Fairview slender salamanderBatrachoseps brameiJockusch, et al., 2012
Greenhorn Mountains slender salamanderBatrachoseps altasierraeJockusch et al., 2012
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References
  1. Burton, M.; Burton, R. (2002). International Wildlife Encyclopedia: Leopard - marten. International Wildlife Encyclopedia. Marshall Cavendish. p. 1503. ISBN 978-0-7614-7277-3. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  2. Cohen, W. D. (1982). "The cytomorphic system of anucleate non-mammalian erythrocytes". Protoplasma. 113: 23–32. doi:10.1007/BF01283036.
  3. "Slender salamander". www.fritzhaeg.com. Animal Estates / 5.2 California quail. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
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