Santa Cruz Black Salamander
Aneides niger
Aneides niger is a black salamander with a moderate size and a robust body. The snout-vent lengths of males vary from 68.8 to 85.7 mm, while those of females vary from 58…
How to identify
Aneides niger is a black salamander with a moderate size and a robust body. The snout-vent lengths of males vary from 68.8 to 85.7 mm, while those of females vary from 58.3 to 73.7 mm. They belong to the Aneides flavipunctatus complex and share morphological features with them. They have large heads that widen behind the eyes, giving them a triangular shape. The head width of males ranges from 10.5 to 16.3 mm, while the head length of females ranges from 8.9 to 10.9 mm. They have strong jaws and noticeable muscles behind their eyes. They also have nasolabial grooves. Aneides niger generally have uniform shiny black coloration across the entire body.
Range
Aneides niger is a species that lives only in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the lower part of the San Francisco Peninsula in California. It can be found from sea level to about 800 m elevation.
Habitat
Aneides niger prefers moist habitats in lowland and foothill forests, especially near streams with a lot of shade. It often stays in or near water.
Similar species
Aneides niger belongs to the Aneides flavipunctatus complex, which includes three other species that share similar body size and shape. However, A. niger can be easily recognized by its uniform black coloration without any spots or speckles and by its geographic range. It also differs from A. aeneus by being larger, rounder, more robust and having shorter limbs and digits. Compared to A. hardii, A. ferreus and A. vagrans, A. niger is bigger and has a more robust but less prehensile tail and shorter digits and limbs. The only species that coexists with A. niger is A. lugubris, which is larger, lighter-colored and has a less robust but more prehensile tail and longer digits and limbs.
Name and etymology
Niger: Latin for Black (niger) referencing its shiny black color.
More illustrations
Juvenile
At a glance
Range
Aneides niger is a species that lives only in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the lower part of the San Francisco Peninsula in Ca…
Habitat
Aneides niger prefers moist habitats in lowland and foothill forests, especially near streams with a lot of shade. It often s…
Guide
Reptiles and Amphibians of North America
Range map
Approximate range. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap