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Slender Salamander Care Sheet

Marc Staniszewski's Slender Salamander Care Sheet This care sheet needs updating to reflect recent taxonomic changes. 2.5 - 6.5", One of the worlds smallest (in terms of creature size) caudate genera, Batrachoseps are extremely slender, worm-like salamanders with a rather dull dorsa and flanks consisting of 15 to 22 costal grooves. The fact that there are 4 toes on each foot distinguishes this genus from most other western salamanders. In healthy individuals the tail is very long, slightly fleshy and equates to approximately one half to two-thirds of Batrachoseps total length. The tail can be very easily amputated along many constrictions along the entire length which is utilized as one of two main defensive features in this genus. Although the head is extremely small, the eyes are relatively large and frontally positioned. It is thought that this positioning is important where hunting of its relatively agile prey is concerned. Like a chameleon, Batrachoseps entire vision is directed forward so as to focus and judge with extreme accuracy the distance of the prey. This is then snared with a flick of a fairly extensible, sticky tongue and Batrachoseps rarely misses! Colour and patterning in slender salamanders is fairly invariable making species / subspecies identification difficult, sometimes impossible unless location data is known. Indeed some species have only been named recently based on genetic material although such evidence makes the classification of this genus rather confusing to say the least. The general dorsal color varies between light brown to dark grey or sometimes black. The flanks are almost always darker but with light speckles. The belly is perhaps the best pointer to a species as can be seen in the specific descriptions.

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