Siskiyou Mountains salamander

The Siskiyou Mountains salamander (Plethodon stormi),[1] also called the Siskiyou Mountain salamander, exists only in isolated locations along the Klamath River in northern California and southern Oregon. It is a close relative of the Del Norte salamander, and some herpetologists believe it may be a subspecies of that animal.

Siskiyou Mountains salamander
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Plethodontinae
Genus: Plethodon
Species:
P. stormi
Binomial name
Plethodon stormi
Highton & Brame, 1965

Description

The Siskiyou Mountains salamander is rich brown in color with white speckles. It is about 9 cm (4 in) long, not counting the tail, which is variable in length. Like all of the plethodontids, it lacks lungs and respires through its moist skin. It is nocturnal, prefers cool, moist environments, and is most active during rainfall or high humidity. It stays underground during hot periods and freezes.

Conservation

Plethodon stormi is an IUCN Red List endangered species in California. Logging and damming have reduced its habitat.

Other local amphibians

In 2005, researchers discovered through genetic analysis that a larger, darker variant of this salamander is in fact a separate species. It has been named the Scott Bar salamander (Plethodon asupak).

Other prominent amphibians within the range of P. stormi include the rough-skinned newt, Taricha granulosa.[2]

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See also

References
  • Sherman C. Bishop and Edmund D. Brodie, Jr. (1994) Handbook of Salamanders: The Salamanders of the United States, of Canada, and of Lower California, Cornell University Press, 555 pages ISBN 0-8014-8213-5
  • C. Michael Hogan (2008) Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), Globaltwitcher, ed. Nicklas Stromberg

Line notes
  1. Sherman C. Bishop and Edmund D. Brodie, Jr., 1994
  2. C. Michael Hogan, 2008
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