California
Batrachoseps aridus  Mario Gracia-Paris | |
| Type of Animal: | Amphibians |
|---|---|
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Caudata |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Federal Status: | Endangered |
| State Status: | Endangered |
| Occurrence: | |
| Habitat: | Oases |
| Description: | Desert slender salamanders are isolated to a small range in Hidden Palm Canyon in Riverside County, California. There are less than 1000 individuals in the population. They seek shelter under rocks and sheets of limestone. During the wet winter and spring months they are usually active at night on the surface. Little is known about the life history of these salamanders. |
| Effort: | It is believed that the limestone sheets used by desert slender salamanders are crucial to their survival. Destruction of this habitat type may lead to the extinction of the species. The Hidden Palm Ecological Reserve is a 141 acre area that has been set aside for the protection of desert slender salamanders. |
| References: | Behler et al. 1979. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. Stebbins 1985. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Second Edition. Zeiner et al. (editors). 1988. California’s Wildlife, Volume I, Amphibians and Reptiles. |
| Other Sites: | Endangered Species Definitions: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wildlife/watchable/wf_endanger.html |
| Field Office(s): | Palm Springs |