Slender salamander
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2018) |
| Slender salamanders | |
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| Batrachoseps attenuatus | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Plethodontidae |
| Subfamily: | Hemidactyliinae |
| Genus: | Batrachoseps Bonaparte, 1839 |
| Species | |
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See table | |
Batrachoseps is a genus of lungless salamanders (Plethodontids) often called Slender salamanders. They can be distinguished from other lungless salamanders by the four toes they have on each foot.
Their genus name Batracho-seps means "frog-lizard", in reference to their projectile tongues.
Diet and physiology
The lungless salamanders, in addition to having no lungs, have long slender snake-shaped bodies with very small limbs that appear almost vestigial in several species.[1] Their main diet consists of small insects, such as springtails, small bark beetles, crickets, young snails, mites, and spiders. Like all salamanders in this family, they have long frog-like projectile tongues which they use to grab their prey in a flash.
Unlike all other amphibians (and birds, and lizards, and nearly all fish) mature red blood cells in of species in the genus Batrachoseps have no nucleus, which is a trait that is only known to occur in mammals and certain species of antarctic fish.[2]
Distribution
Batrachoseps range from Oregon and California (USA) to northern Baja California (Mexico). Slender salamanders in California tolerate diverse variety of environments, as long as their basic needs are met.[3]
Species
21 species are recognized in this genus, but their taxonomy is uncertain. Some species may in fact be subspecies of others, and some subspecies may be distinct species of their own. Genetic analysis is in process.
| California slender salamander | Batrachoseps attenuatus | Eschscholtz, 1833 |
| Inyo Mountains slender salamander | Batrachoseps campi | Marlow, Brode & Wake, 1979 |
| Hell Hollow slender salamander | Batrachoseps diabolicus | Jockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998 |
| San Gabriel slender salamander | Batrachoseps gabrieli | Wake, 1996 |
| Gabilan Mountains slender salamander | Batrachoseps gavilanensis | Jockusch, Yanev & Wake, 2001 |
| Gregarious slender salamander | Batrachoseps gregarius | Jockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998 |
| San Simeon slender salamander | Batrachoseps incognitus | Jockusch, Yanev & Wake, 2001 |
| Sequoia slender salamander | Batrachoseps kawia | Jockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998 |
| San Lucia Mountains slender salamander | Batrachoseps luciae | Jockusch, Yanev & Wake, 2001 |
| Garden slender salamander | Batrachoseps major | Camp, 1915 |
| Lesser slender salamander | Batrachoseps minor | Jockusch, Yanev & Wake, 1998 |
| Black-bellied slender salamander | Batrachoseps nigriventris | Cope, 1869 |
| Pacific slender salamander | Batrachoseps pacificus | (Cope, 1865) |
| King's River slender salamander | Batrachoseps regius | Jockusch, Wake & Yanev, 1998 |
| Relictual slender salamander | Batrachoseps relictus | Brame & Murray, 1968 |
| Kern Plateau slender salamander | Batrachoseps robustus | Wake, Yanev & Hansen, 2002 |
| Kern Canyon slender salamander | Batrachoseps simatus | Brame & Murray, 1968 |
| Tehachapi slender salamander | Batrachoseps stebbinsi | Brame & Murray, 1968 |
| Oregon slender salamander | Batrachoseps wrighti | (Bishop, 1937) |
| Fairview slender salamander | Batrachoseps bramei | Jockusch, et al., 2012 |
| Greenhorn Mountains slender salamander | Batrachoseps altasierrae | Jockusch et al., 2012 |
References
- ^ Burton, M.; Burton, R. (2002). International Wildlife Encyclopedia: Leopard - marten. International Wildlife Encyclopedia. Marshall Cavendish. p. 1503. ISBN 978-0-7614-7277-3. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
- ^ Cohen, W. D. (1982). "The cytomorphic system of anucleate non-mammalian erythrocytes". Protoplasma. 113: 23–32. doi:10.1007/BF01283036.
- ^ "Slender salamander". www.fritzhaeg.com. Animal Estates / 5.2 California quail. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
External links
- Frost, Darrel R (2007). "Batrachoseps". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference (Version 5.1 (10 October 2007) ed.). New York, NY: American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved July 30, 2008. Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php American Museum of Natural History.
- "Batrachoseps". AmphibiaWeb. Berkeley, California. 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
Information on amphibian biology and conservation
AmphibiaWeb is available at http://amphibiaweb.org/. - "Batrachoseps". Tree of Life.
- "A slender salamanders page". montereybay.com.
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