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Home/Species/ Arboreal Salamander

Aneides lugubris

(Hallowell, 1849)

Arboreal Salamander

G5Secure Found in 19 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100852
Element CodeAAAAD01050
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
arboreal 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.
Conservation Status
Review Date2001-12-17
Change Date2001-10-04
Edition Date2001-12-17
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Common in many areas throughout the range in California and northwestern Baja California.
Range Extent Comments
Coast Ranges of California from Humboldt County to Baja California. Also, central Sierra Nevada foothills; South Farallon, Santa Catalina, and Los Coronados islands (Behler and King 1979). Sea level to about 5,000 ft (Stebbins 1985).
Occurrences Comments
Many occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
A major threat is loss of large oaks used for nesting and estivation.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

It inhabits coastal live-oak woodlands; yellow pine and black oak forests in the foothills. Found on ground under leaf litter, rocks, logs, etc.; also climbs trees. Retreats to tree cavities, rodent burrows, caves, and mine shafts in summer. Lays eggs in hollow trees or logs and in cavities in the earth (Behler and King 1979). In Baja California it lives in sycamore woodland. It is a direct developer, and is not dependent upon water.

Reproduction

Female lays 1-2 dozen eggs; eggs hatch in 3-4 months (Behler and King 1979). Eggs brooded during the summer (Stebbins 1985).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - Mixed
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial development——High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas——High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture——High (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops——High (continuing)
5 - Biological resource use——High (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (19)
California (19)
AreaForestAcres
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
CamuesaLos Padres National Forest8,209
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
ColdwaterCleveland National Forest8,402
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
La BreaLos Padres National Forest14,031
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
San DimasAngeles National Forest7,160
Santa CruzLos Padres National Forest21,182
Stanley MountainLos Padres National Forest14,674
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
Tepusquet PeakLos Padres National Forest5,821
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
West ForkAngeles National Forest1,169
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
White LedgeLos Padres National Forest18,632
References (11)
  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. 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. Lynch, J.F. and Wake, D.B. 1974. Aneides lugubris. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 159:1-2.
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
  10. Stebbins, R. C. 1954a. Amphibians and reptiles of western North America. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
  11. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.