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Aneides vagrans

Wake and Jackman, 1998

Wandering Salamander

G4Apparently Secure Found in 9 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104517
Element CodeAAAAD01060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusAneides
Other Common Names
Salamandre errante (FR) wandering salamander (EN)
Concept Reference
Jackman, T. R. 1998. Molecular and historical evidence for the introduction of clouded salamanders (genus Aneides) to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, from California. Canadian Journal of Zoology 76:1570-1580.
Taxonomic Comments
Aneides vagrans formerly was included in A. ferreus (see Jackman 1998).
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-03-23
Change Date2000-02-28
Edition Date2011-05-02
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Native to coniferous forest/woodland in northwestern California; native or possibly introduced but well established in British Columbia; occurs in burned areas and tolerates a certain amount of logging, but generally is most common in forests where there are large decaying logs on the ground; current status is not well documented.
Range Extent Comments
Northern Del Norte and Siskiyou counties, California, south through extreme western Trinity, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties in an increasingly narrow, forested coastal strip to the vicinity of Stewart's Point, northwestern Sonoma County, California (Wake and Jackman, in Jackman 1998). Widespread on Vancouver Island and neighboring islands in British Columbia, and also has been found on the mainland, but all of these populations are believed to be derived ultimately from human-mediated introductions that occurred in conjunction with shipments of tan oak bark from California (Wake and Jackman, in Jackman 1998). The widespread occurrence of the species on Vancouver Island, including remote areas, lends support to an alternative hypothesis of dispersal from California during post-glacial times via natural log-rafting on north-flowing ocean currents (COSEWIC 2014).
Occurrences Comments
Many occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
Loss of mature forest with coarse woody debris on the ground probably is the greatest threat.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Moist coniferous forests; in forest edge, forest clearings, talus, and burned over areas. Usually found under bark, in rotten logs, or in rock crevices. May aggregate in decayed logs in summer. Requires large (greater than 20 inches in diameter) down logs of mid-decay classes with sloughing bark (Thomas et al. 1993). Logs are primary microhabitat in spring, summer, and fall on Vancouver Island (Davis 2002). Sometimes climbs high into trees. Lays eggs in cavities in rotten logs, in rock crevices, under bark, or among vegetation. Welsh and Wilson (1995) reported a clutch that had been in a fern clump at the base of a limb 30-40 meters above ground in a large redwood tree.

Reproduction

In British Columbia, unhatched clutches of up to 23 eggs were found from late June through early September (Davis 2003). Female attends eggs, but both sexes have been found at nest sites. Eggs hatch in about 60 days. Females probably lay eggs at 2-year intervals.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN3
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS3Yes
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource use——High (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (9)
California (9)
AreaForestAcres
Bell QuinbyShasta-Trinity National Forest11,556
Cow CreekShasta-Trinity National Forest22,627
Cow CreekSix Rivers National Forest1,271
Little French CShasta-Trinity National Forest11,529
Orleans Mtn.Klamath National Forest49,090
Orleans Mtn. CSix Rivers National Forest15,589
Ship MountainSix Rivers National Forest11,936
SiskiyouKlamath National Forest54,039
Siskiyou BSix Rivers National Forest18,871
References (22)
  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. Corkran, C. C., and C. Thoms. 1996. Amphibians of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta. 175 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. Davis, T. M. 2002a. Microhabitat use and movements of the wandering salamander, <i>Aneides vagrans</i>, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Herpetology 36:699-703.
  6. Davis, T.M. 2002b. An ethogram of intraspecific agonistic and display behavior for the Wandering Salamander, <i>Aneides vagrans</i>. Herpetologica. 58:371-382.
  7. Davis, T. M. 2003. <i>Aneides vagrans</i> (wandering salamander). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 34:133.
  8. Davis, T.M. and Gregory, P.T. 1993. Status of the Clouded Salamander in British Columbia. Wildlife Working Report WR-53 prepared for B.C. Environment, Wildlife Branch. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
  9. 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
  10. Jackman, T. R. 1998. Molecular and historical evidence for the introduction of clouded salamanders (genus <i>Aneides</i>) to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, from California. Canadian Journal of Zoology 76:1570-1580.
  11. Leonard, W. P., H. A. Brown, L. L. C. Jones, K. R. McAllister, and R. M. Storm. 1993. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle, Washington. viii + 168 pp.
  12. 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.
  13. McKenzie, D.S. and R.M. Storm. 1970. Patterns of habitat selection in the clouded salamander, Aneides ferreus (Cope). Herpetologica 26(4):450-454.
  14. Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  15. Nussbaum, R.A., E.D. Brodie, Jr., and R.M. Storm. 1983. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. University Press of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho. 332 pp.
  16. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  17. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  18. Stelmock, J.J. and Harestad, A.S. 1979. Food habits and life history of the Clouded salamander (Aneides ferreus) on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Syesis. 12:71-75.
  19. Thomas, J. W., Ward, J., Raphael, M.G., Anthony, R.G., Forsman, E.D., Gunderson, A.G., Holthausen, R.S., Marcot, B.G., Reeves, G.H., Sedell, J.R. and Solis, D.M. 1993. Viability assessments and management considerations for species associated with late-successional and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. The report of the Scientific Analysis Team. USDA Forest Service, Spotted Owl EIS Team. 530 pp. Portland, Oregon.
  20. Thomas, J. W., Ward, J., Raphael, M.G., Anthony, R.G., Forsman, E.D., Gunderson, A.G., Holthausen, R.S., Marcot, B.G., Reeves, G.H., Sedell, J.R. and Solis, D.M. 1993. Viability assessments and management considerations for species associated with late-successional and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. The report of the Scientific Analysis Team. USDA Forest Service, Spotted Owl EIS Team, Portland Oregon. 530 pp.
  21. Wake, D. 1965. Aneides ferreus. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 16:1-2.
  22. Welsh, H. W., Jr., and R. A. Wilson. 1995. <i>Aneides ferreus</i> (clouded salamander). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 26:196-197.