Species: Ensatina eschscholtzii
Ensatina
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Amphibia
Order
Caudata
Family
Plethodontidae
Genus
Ensatina
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Common Ensatina - salamandre variable
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Amphibians - Salamanders
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Amphibia - Caudata - Plethodontidae - Ensatina - Highton (1998) concluded that published data support the recognition of multiple species of ENSATINA, whereas Wake and Schneider (1998) disagreed, cited relevant data unavailable to Highton, and stated that a new taxonomy may be required when studies in progress are completed. For the present, Wake and Schneider (1998) recommended continued recognition of the ENSATINA complex as a single polytypic species. Wake and Jockusch (2000) provided further information supporting recognition of E. ESCHSCHOLTZII as a single ring species.
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Feeds on a variety of invertebrates including insects (e.g., beetles, springtails, crickets), spiders, and millipedes.
Reproduction Comments
Breeding occurs primarily in spring and fall (Stebbins 1985). Female broods a cluster of 7-25 eggs. Eggs hatch in fall or early winter. There is no aquatic larval stage. Reaches sexual maturity in 2.5-3.5 years (Stebbins 1954, Behler and King 1979). Maximum estimated age in the Sierra Nevada was 15 years (Staub et al. 1995).
Ecology Comments
Population densities of 283 salamanders/ha have been reported (Nussbaum et al. 1983). In the Sierra Nevada of California (subspecies PLATENSIS), in old-growth conifer forest, maximum distance moved in a multi-year study was 120 m for males and 61 m for females (Staub et al. 1995).
Length
15
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
2002-03-21
Global Status Last Changed
2001-10-18
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S4&US.CA=SNR&US.OR=S5&US.WA=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
G - 200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles) - G - Southwestern British Columbia south along Coast Ranges to extreme northwestern Baja California and the Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California (Mahrdt et al. 1998); and along western slopes of Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada. Recently recorded east of the Cascade crest in Washington (Darda et al. 2001). Absent from Sacramento-San Joaquin valley, California. Occurs from sea level to elevations of about 8,000 ft (Stebbins 1985). See Moritz et al. (1992) for a general but up-to-date distribution map.
Global Range Code
G
Global Range Description
200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)