Aneides lugubris
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Aneides lugubris | ||||||||||||||
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Aneides lugubris Hallowell, 1849 |
Aneides lugubris, the Arboreal salamander, is a species of climbing salamander. It is native to California and Baja California, where it is primarily associated with oak and sycamore woodlands, and thick chaparral.
It is large, 5.1 to 8.1 cm, with plain purplish-brown coloring, usually spotted dorsally with gold or yellow, although it may also be unspotted. The tail is prehensile. The juvenile is dark overall, clouded with greyish color and fine yellow speckling on the back. It has rusty markings on the snout, tail, and on sides above the forelimbs. The male of this species can be distinguished by its broad triangular head, with the front teeth of the jaw extending beyond the bottom lip.
This species is an excellent climber and difficult to capture. It is nocturnal, spending daylight hours and dry periods in the cavities of oak trees, often with many other individuals of its species. [1] A large adult can inflict a painful bite.
[edit] References
- Parra Olea et al (2004). Aneides lugubris. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
- Fisher, R. N. and T. J. Case. "A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Coastal Southern California." USGS.
- ^ Grismer, L. L. (2002). Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California. Los Angeles: University of California Press. 56-7.