Species: Plethodon vehiculum
Western Redback Salamander
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Amphibia
Order
Caudata
Family
Plethodontidae
Genus
Plethodon
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Western Red-backed Salamander - salamandre à dos rayé
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Amphibians - Salamanders
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Amphibia - Caudata - Plethodontidae - Plethodon - Analyses indicated that PLETHODON STORMI and P. ELONGATUS are clearly sister taxa, and P. DUNNI and P. VEHICULUM also are well-supported sister taxa. PLETHODON LARSELLI and P. VANDYKEI appear to be closely related, whereas P. NEOMEXICANUS did not group with any other lineage. All analyses yielded a paraphyletic PLETHODON but constraint analyses did not allow rejection of a monophyletic PLETHODON. Mahoney recommended continued recognition of ANEIDES as a valid genus and adoption of the metataxon designation for PLETHODON*, indicating this status with an asterisk. (A metataxon is a group of lineages for which neither monophyly nor paraphyly can be demonstrated.)
Ecology and Life History
Short General Description
A lungless salamander that reaches a maximum snout-vent length of about 6 cm.
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Feeds on a wide variety of terrestrial invertebrates including mites, collembolans, spiders and isopods (Nussbaum et al. 1983).
Reproduction Comments
In Oregon, breeds mainly from November-early March; courtship occurs in autumn on Vancouver Island (Ovaska and Gregory 1989). Female lays a clutch of about 10 eggs in the spring, broods them during the summer. Hatchlings appear in autumn. Female oviposits at intervals of 2 years or more; male produces sperm every year.
Ecology Comments
In British Columbia, mean distance between the two farthest captures over several months was 2.7 m (range up to 8-9 m) for adult males, which moved greater distances than did adult females and juveniles (Ovaska 1988); captures during the active season ranged from 0.3-1.16 per sq m, highest in spring (Ovaska and Gregory 1989).
Length
12
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
2002-03-27
Global Status Last Changed
2001-10-31
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S4&US.OR=S5&US.WA=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
F - 20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles) - F - Southwestern British Columbia, including Vancouver Island, south through western Washington to southwestern Oregon (Petranka 1998). Sea level to about 4100 ft (1250 m) (Stebbins 1985).
Global Range Code
F
Global Range Description
20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)