Batrachoseps regius
Jockusch, Wake, and Yanev, 1998
Kings River Slender Salamander
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
EndangeredIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103787
Element CodeAAAAD02140
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNEndangered
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusBatrachoseps
Concept ReferenceJockusch, E. L., D. B. Wake, and K. P. Yanev. 1998. New species of slender salamanders, Batrachoseps (Amphibia: Plethodontidae), from the Sierra Nevada of California. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Contributions in Science 472:1-17.
Taxonomic CommentsThis species formerly included in B. relictus (see Jockusch et al. 1998).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2013-06-28
Change Date2013-06-28
Edition Date2013-06-28
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)
Number of Occurrences1 - 5
Rank ReasonsSmall range in the Kings and Kaweah river drainages, California; two occupied areas are in national parks, another area is near a roadside.
Range Extent CommentsThis species is known from two areas in the Kings River drainage in Fresno County, California: vicinity of the type locality in the lower drainage of the Kings River system, elevation 335 meters (Jockusch et al. 1998); and Summit Meadow, elevation 2,470 meters, Kings Canyon National Park (Stebbins 2003, Stebbins and McGinnis 2012). It also has been found in the Middle Fork Kaweah River drainage (elevation 610 meters) in Sequoia National Park, Tulare County, California (Jockusch and Wake 2002, Hansen and Wake 2005).
Occurrences CommentsThis species is represented by just a few known occurrences (lower Kings River occurrence consists of several sites), but additional occurrences likely exist in areas that have nor been adequately surveyed (Hansen and Wake 2005).
Threat Impact CommentsA road may have destroyed some habitat in the lower Kings River drainage, where extant populations are near this road and thus vulnerable further habitat alteration. Climate change presumably may detrimentally affect some populations if it results in a reduction in suitable habitat.
Ecology & Habitat
Habitat
This species is known from a well-shaded, north-facing slope in an area of mixed chaparral with Aesculus, Umbellularia, and Quercus wislizenii and scattered Pinus sabiniana, P. ponderosa, and Q. douglasii; it has been found under rocks in areas of talus near the roadside (Jockusch et al. 1998). The Summit Meadow area is a moist coniferous forest of lodgepole pine and red fir; one salamander there was inside a rotted, saturated lodgepole pine log in deep shade beside a boggy meadow (Karlstrom field notes, cited by Hansen and Wake 2005).
Reproduction
Terrestrial breeder.
Terrestrial HabitatsForest - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine HabitatsRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
| Province | Rank | Native |
|---|
| California | S2 | Yes |
References (9)
- 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.
- 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]
- 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
- Hansen, R. W., and D. B. Wake. 2005. <i>Batrachoseps regius</i> Jockusch, Wake, and Yanev, 1998. Kings River slender salamander. Pages 686-688 in M. Lannoo, editor. Amphibian declines: the conservation status of United States species. University of California Press, Berkeley.
- Jockusch, E. L., and D. B. Wake. 2002. Falling apart and merging: diversification of slender salamanders (Plethodontidae: <i>Batrachoseps</i>) in the American West. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 76:361-391.
- Jockusch, E. L., D. B. Wake, and K. P. Yanev. 1998. New species of slender salamanders, <i>Batrachoseps </i>(Amphibia: Plethodontidae), from the Sierra Nevada of California. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Contributions in Science 472:1-17.
- Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
- Stebbins, R. C., and S. M. McGinnis. 2012. Field guide to amphibians and reptiles of California. Revised edition. University of California Press, Berkeley.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2016. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Findings on 17 Petitions. Federal Register 81(7):1368-1375.