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Home/Species/ Limestone Salamander

Hydromantes brunus

Gorman, 1954

Limestone Salamander

G2Imperiled (G2G3) Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
Medium - lowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104428
Element CodeAAAAD09010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderCaudata
FamilyPlethodontidae
GenusHydromantes
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
Bingham et al. (2018) provided range-wide geographic sampling for mitochondrial and nuclear data to revise the taxonomy of this complex, which had previously been estimated as inadequate by Rovito (2010). They also reported newly discovered populations of the H. shastae complex to the west and south which have not been studied and the taxonomic status of these populations requires further study (Nicholson 2025).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2013-05-17
Change Date2013-05-17
Edition Date2013-05-17
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium - low
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Known from several scattered localities in one county in California; probably relatively stable and not in immediate danger, but vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation from mining, road construction, water development, or other human activities that may occur in the foreseeable future; probably vulnerable to population reductions resulting from habitat changes associated with climate change.
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the lower Merced River drainage in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Mariposa County, California: vicinity of Briceburg, at confluence of Bear Creek and Merced River, along tributaries of Bear Creek, along North Fork of Merced River, and at Hell Hollow about 4 miles above Lake McClure and at the confluence of Hell Hollow Creek with Lake McClure (California Department of Fish and Game 1990, Stebbins 2003). Rovito (2010) listed the following localities: North Fork Merced River at Indian Gulch; 0.6 mi W confluence South and Middle Forks Merced River; Hite Cove, South Fork Merced River; 0.6 mi NE (by road) Briceburg; 3.6 miles along road to Buffalo Gulch from Feliciana Mtn. Road; Hell Hollow, 3.9 mi N (by Hwy 49) Bear Valley; tributary of Bear Creek; Sherlock Creek at Lyons Gulch. Elevational range is 200-900 meters (Rovito 2010).
Occurrences Comments
This species is known from several scattered localities. On a coarse scale, Rovito (2010) mapped 8 localities, but as of 2009 the species is known from at least 15 sites (BLM, Mother Lode Field Office).
Threat Impact Comments
This species appears to be in no immediate danger (Wake and Papenfuss 2005). A proposed gold mine operation in Hell Hollow poses the most serious threat; other potential threats include highway construction (e.g., widening of main access route into Yosemite National Park), quarrying for limestone (California Department of Fish and Game 1990), and impoundments that would inundate habitat.

Climate change presumably could reduce the suitability of some of the presently occupied habitat.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes mixed chaparral and moss-covered or barren limestone outcroppings and talus rubble generally in oak-gray pine woodland; typically these salamanders are found under rocks or logs, most often on steep slopes; they stay underground (rock crevices, caves, mines, etc.) in dry weather (Stebbins 2003, Wake and Papenfuss 2005). Terrestrial breeder.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
3 - Energy production & miningNegligible (<1%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineLow (long-term)
3.2 - Mining & quarrying——Low (long-term)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsSmall (1-10%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineModerate - low
4.1 - Roads & railroads——Moderate - low
7 - Natural system modificationsRestricted - smallExtreme or 71-100% pop. declineModerate - low
7.2 - Dams & water management/use——Moderate - low
11 - Climate change & severe weatherLarge - smallModerate - slightModerate - low

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Roadless Areas (2)
California (2)
AreaForestAcres
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
Ferguson RidgeSierra National Forest6,104
References (23)
  1. AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2005. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: http://amphibiaweb.org/.
  2. 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.
  3. Bingham, R. E., T. J. Papenfuss, L. Lindstrand, III, and D. B. Wake. 2018. Phylogeography and species boundaries in the <i>Hydromantes shastae</i> complex, with description of two new species (Amphibia; Caudata; Plethodontidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Cambridge, Massachusetts 161:403-427.
  4. Biosystems Analysis, Inc. 1989. Endangered Species Alert Program Manual: Species Accounts and Procedures. Southern California Edison Environmental Affairs Division.
  5. Biosystems Analysis, Inc. 1989. Endangered Species Alert Program Manual: Species Accounts and Procedures. Southern California Edison Environmental Affairs Division.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. California Department of Fish and Game (CDF&G). 1990. 1989 annual report on the status of California's state listed threatened and endangered plants and animals. 188 pp.
  9. 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]
  10. Fouquette Jr., M.J., and A. DuBois. 2014. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Seventh Edition. Volume 1—Amphibians. Xlibris LLC, Bloomington, Indiana. 586 pp.
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. Gorman, J. 1964. Hydromantes brunus, H. platycephalus, H. shastae. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 11:1-2.
  14. Lanza, B., and S. Vanni. 1981. On the biogeography of plethodontid salamanders (Amphibia, Caudata) with a description of a new genus. Monitore Zool. Ital. 15:117-121.
  15. 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
  16. Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
  17. Rovito, S. M. 2010. Lineage divergence and speciation in the web-toed salamanders (Plethodontidae: <i>Hydromantes</i>) of the Sierra Nevada, California. Molecular Ecology 19:4554-4571.
  18. Stebbins, R. C. 1972. California Amphibians and Reptiles. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
  19. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  20. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  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. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. National Listing Workplan. Online. Available: https://www.fws.gov/project/national-listing-workplan
  23. Wake, D. B., and T. J. Paenfuss. 2005. <i>Hydromantes brunus</i> Gorman, 1954. Limestone salamander. Pages 781-782 in M. Lannoo, editor. Amphibian declines: the conservation status of United States species. University of California Press, Berkeley.