Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Sacramento Mountains Salamander

Aneides hardii

(Taylor, 1941)

Sacramento Mountains Salamander

G3Vulnerable Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105472
Element CodeAAAAD01040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusAneides
Other Common Names
Sacramento Mountain salamander (EN)
Concept Reference
Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Mahoney (2001) used mtDNA data to examine phylogenetic relationships of western and eastern Plethodon and Aneides. She found strong support for eastern Plethodon as a clade, but monophyly of Aneides was only weakly supported in some analyses, though "the monophyly of this clade is not in doubt." Analyses indicated that Plethodon stormii and P. elongatus are clearly sister taxa, and P. dunni and P. vehiculum also are well-supported sister taxa. Plethodon larselli and P. vandykei appear to be closely related, whereas P. neomexicanus did not group with any other lineage. All analyses yielded a paraphyletic Plethodon but constraint analyses did not allow rejection of a monophyletic Plethodon. Mahoney recommended continued recognition of Aneides as a valid genus and adoption of the metataxon designation for Plethodon*, indicating this status with an asterisk. (A metataxon is a group of lineages for which neither monophyly nor paraphyly can be demonstrated.)
Conservation Status
Review Date2001-12-17
Change Date2001-10-04
Edition Date2011-05-02
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G., and M. K. Clausen
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent250-5000 square km (about 100-2000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 20
Rank Reasons
Small range in three mountain ranges in southern New Mexico; relatively abundant in several areas; incompatible forestry practices are a potential threat, but apparently relatively secure under current management practices.
Range Extent Comments
Sacramento Mountains, Capitan Mountains, and Sierra Blanca in Lincoln and Otero counties of southern New Mexico. Largely within Lincoln National Forest; elevations of 2438 m (possibly 2380 m) to 3600 m (Ramotnik 1997).
Occurrences Comments
Ramotnik (1997) mapped slightly more than 100 collection/observation sites in 3 highly localized areas in 2 counties of New Mexico.
Threat Impact Comments
Threats include logging, overgrazing, and forest fires. Highly vulnerable to desiccation and exposure due to habitat alteration. Negatively impacted by opening up of shady mature forest and by destruction or removal of downed logs (Bury et al. 1980). Intensive logging, slash removal, and burning probably are detrimental (Ramotnik and Scott 1988, Ramotnik 1997). Populations may persist through the first intensive logging of an area, but may not survive a repeated 10-year logging cycle (Ramotnik and Scott 1988, cited by Degenhardt et al. 1996). Apparently relatively secure under current management practices (Ramotnik 1997).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Douglas-fir, Engelmann spruce, and white fir forests. Typically found on north- and east-facing slopes; often found in canyons in rotting logs, rock crevices, or under forest litter. Spends much of its life underground. Females with eggs have been found in cavities in Douglas-fir logs (Stebbins 1985).

Reproduction

Apparently females lay eggs every other year; eggs begin to hatch in July (New Mexico Department of Fish and Game 1985).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferBare rock/talus/scree
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource use——Moderate - low
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——Moderate - low

—

Roadless Areas (4)
New Mexico (4)
AreaForestAcres
GrapevineLincoln National Forest2,086
Jefferies CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
References (15)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. Blackburn, L., P. Nanjappa, and M. J. Lannoo. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Copyright, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA.
  3. Bury, R. B., C. K. Dodd, Jr., and G. M. Fellers. 1980. Conservation of the Amphibia of the United States: a review. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C., Resource Publication 134. 34 pp.
  4. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  5. Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. xix + 431 pp.
  6. Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
  7. Frost, D.R. 2020. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Online: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html
  8. Mahoney, M. J. 2001. Molecular systematics of <i>Plethodon </i>and <i>Aneides </i>(Caudata: Plethodontini): phylogenetic analysis of an old and rapid radiation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 18:174-188.
  9. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. 1985. Handbook of species endangered in New Mexico.
  10. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. 1996. October 1-last update. Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange-VA Tech. Online. Available: http//www.fw.vt.edu/fishex/nm.html. Accessed 1997, April 8.
  11. Painter, C. W. Endangered Species Biologist. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Santa Fe, NM
  12. Ramotnik, C. A. 1997. Conservation assessment of the Sacramento Mountain salamander. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RM-GTR-293. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, Colorado. 19 pp.
  13. Ramotnik, C. A., and N. J. Scott. 1988. Habitat requirements of New Mexico's endangered salamanders. Pages 54-63 in R.C. Szaro, et al., technical coordinators. 1988. Management of amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals in North America. USDA For. Serv., Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-166. 458 pp.
  14. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  15. Wake, D. 1965. Aneides hardii. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 17:1-2.