Speckled Black Salamander

Aneides flavipunctatus

Reptiles & AmphibiansIn the app

Dorsum either black or black with small white flecks, larger white blotches, or yellow blotches. Can also have gray or green tinge to dorsum. Belly is black with a gray t…

How to identify

Dorsum either black or black with small white flecks, larger white blotches, or yellow blotches. Can also have gray or green tinge to dorsum. Belly is black with a gray tinge. Female's head is noticeably smaller than the male's head. Does not have lungs; instead breathes through its skin and tissues in its mouth. Clutch size varies from 8-25 eggs that are held together by peduncles. Young develop fully while still enclosed in eggs and are fully developed when they hatch. Young look similar to adults with a solid black dorsum that can have green or gold elements. Yellow is apparent around the limbs.

Range

Aneides flavipunctatus is a species of amphibian that inhabits moist and forested areas in the western lowlands of California, USA. It ranges from southern Humboldt County to northern Sonoma and Napa Counties, and can be found at elevations up to 1700 m.

Habitat

Aneides flavipunctatus prefers habitats with abundant cover, such as rocks, logs, soil, and talus slopes. It also occurs in meadows and burned areas. The annual precipitation in its range is more than 75 cm

Similar species

Aneides flavipunctatus is one of the four species that were formerly classified as Aneides flavipunctatus until 2019, when they were split up based on their geographic distribution and color patterns. The other three species are A. iecanus, A. klamathensis, and A. niger. The Aneides flavipunctatus has the most diverse coloration among them, ranging from black to yellow with white spots or flecks. It also differs from A. klamathensis by having more frosty dorsal markings and from A. niger by having more iridophores (reflective cells). However, it is hard to tell apart from A. klamathensis in their contact zone near Latonville, California. Compared to other Aneides species, the Speckled Black Salamander is larger than A. aeneus, A. ferreus, A. hardii, and A. vagrans but smaller than A. lugubris. It has a stout tail that is less prehensile than those of A. ferreus, A. lugubris, and A. vagrans.