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Home/Species/ Inyo Mountains Salamander

Batrachoseps campi

Marlow, Brode, and Wake, 1979

Inyo Mountains Salamander

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100550
Element CodeAAAAD02030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusBatrachoseps
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.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2013-05-01
Change Date2013-05-01
Edition Date2013-05-01
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Known from fewer than 20 isolated localities in the Inyo Mountains, California; fragile habitat; abundance and trend poorly known..
Range Extent Comments
This species is known only from isolated localities on the west and east slopes of the Inyo Mountains, Inyo County, California (Marlow et al. 1979, Yanev and Wake 1981, Jennings and Hayes 1994, Jockusch 2001). Elevational range is 490-2,590 meters (Hansen and Wake 2005).
Occurrences Comments
Known from at least 16 localities in the Inyo Mountains (Jennings and Hayes 1994). Captures in pitfall traps in areas without surface moisture suggest that the species may be more broadly distributed below the surface (Jockusch 2001).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats include habitat alteration from flash floods, mining, water diversion, and vegetation damage by cattle and feral burros (Papenfuss and Macey 1986; Giuliani 1990, 1996; Jennings and Hayes 1994). Water diversion for mining or other activities has caused declines or extirpations (Papenfuss and Macey 1986). Concerted efforts have been made by federal agencies to reduce the number of feral burros in the Inyo Mountains region (Hansen and Wake 2005). Climate change (e.g., drought, increased flash flooding) presumably may detrimentally affect this species to some degree over coming decades.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

These salamanders occur localized in mesic microhabitats along small permanent desert springs and seeps with riparian vegetation; generally under stones, wood, or in holes or crevices in moist soil near spring seepages and pools; vegetation along water courses consists of willows and wild rose; surrounding slopes are arid, grown to sagebrush, buckwheat, rabbitbrush, and cactus (Marlow et al. 1979, Yanev and Wake 1981, Stebbins 2003). A few captures in pitfall traps in areas without surface moisture indicate that the species may be more widely distributed below the surface (Jockusch 2001). Terrestrial breeder.

Reproduction

Terrestrial breeder.
Terrestrial Habitats
Desert
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningSmall (1-10%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingSmall (1-10%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive - largeSlight or 1-10% pop. declineModerate - low

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Roadless Areas (1)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
References (23)
  1. AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2005. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/.
  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. 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]
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. Giuliani, D. 1990. New salamander populations from the eastern Sierra Nevada and Owens Valley region of California with notes on previously known sites. California Department of Fish and Game, Contracts FG7533 and FG8450, Sacramento, California.
  7. Giuliani, D. 1996. Resurvey of eastern Sierra Nevada salamanders. California Department of Fish and Game, Unpublished report, Sacramento, California.
  8. Gogol-Prokurat, M. 2016. Inyo Mountain Salamander Range Map. California Wildlife Habitat Relationship Program, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento, CA. https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/bios6/Default.aspx (Accessed 16 June 2023).
  9. Hansen, R. W., and D. B. Wake. 2005. <i>Batrachoseps campi</i> Marlow, Brode, and Wake, 1979. Pages 669-671 in M. Lannoo, editor. Amphibian declines. The status of United States species. University of California Press, Berkeley.
  10. Jennings, M. R., and M. P. Hayes. 1994. Amphibian and reptile species of special concern in California. Final Report submitted to the California Department of Fish and Game, Inland Fisheries Division. Contract No. 8023. 255 pp.
  11. Jockusch, E.L. 2001. Batrachoseps campi. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 722:1-2.
  12. Marlow, R. W., J. M. Brode, and D. B. Wake. 1979. A new salamander, genus <i>Batrachoseps</i>, from the Inyo Mountains of California, with a discussion of relationships in the genus. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Contributions in Science 308:1-17.
  13. Mindat. 2023. Mine Location and Distribution Information for Inyo County, California. https://www.mindat.org/loc-3462.html (Accessed 21 June 2023).
  14. Norment, C.J. 2022. Distribution, Ecology, Morphology, and Status of the Inyo Mountain Salamander (Batrachoseps campi). Western North American Naturalist 82(3):460-478.
  15. Papenfuss, T. J., and J. R. Macey. 1986. A review of the population status of the Inyo Mountains salamander. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Order Number 10188-5671-5, Endangered Species Office, Sacramento, California.
  16. Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
  17. Stebbins, R. C. 1972. California Amphibians and Reptiles. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
  18. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  19. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  20. Thompson, R.C., A.N. Wright, and B.H. Shaffer. 2016. California Amphibian and Reptile Species of Special Concern. Inyo Mountain Salamander Species Account. Oakland, California: University of California Press. https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=190354&inline (Accessed 22 June 2023).
  21. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2015. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; 90-day findings on 25 petitions, notice of petition findings and initiation of status reviews. Federal Register 80(181):56423-56432.
  22. Wright, A.N., R.J. Hijmans, M.W. Schwartz, and H.B. Shaffer. 2013. California Amphibian and Reptile Species of Future Concern: Conservation and Climate Change. Final Report to the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame Wildlife Program, Task 12, Contract No. P0685904. https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=141383&inline
  23. Yanev, K. P., and D. B. Wake. 1981. Genic differentiation in a relict desert salamander, <i>Batrachoseps campi</i>. Herpetologica 37:16-28.