Shasta salamander
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Plethodontidae
Subfamily: Plethodontinae
Genus: Hydromantes
Species:
H. shastae
Binomial name
Hydromantes shastae
Gorman & Camp, 1953

The Shasta salamander (Hydromantes shastae) is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to Shasta County in California.[2][3]

Taxonomy

Formerly considered to be a single species with a rather small distribution in the vicinity of Shasta Lake, a 2018 study found it to comprise three species, including H. shastae sensu stricto, and two new species: the Samwel Shasta salamander (H. samweli), found in the north-central and northwest sides of the lake, and the Wintu Shasta salamander (H. wintu) on the northern shore of the lake near the McCloud River. Both species are physically similar to H. shastae and can only be distinguished by range and genetics.[4]

Distribution and habitat

It is found in the Cascade Range in areas around Shasta Lake with limestone substrate, primarily between Squaw Creek and the Pit River, but also on the south side of Shasta Lake and in the vicinity of Ingot.[2][5] Its natural habitats are temperate forests, freshwater springs, rocky areas, and caves.

Threats

Its small distribution was likely fragmented by the creation of the lake and the construction of the Shasta Dam. Proposals to raise the water levels of the lake would likely flood more habitats and further threaten it. In addition, the splitting of this species into three distinct species with highly restricted ranges likely makes it even more endangered previously thought.[6] However, in 2021 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the species to not warrant Endangered Species Act protections.[7]

References

  1. ↑ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2022). "Hydromantes shastae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T181496410A118973714. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Hydromantes shastae Gorman and Camp, 1953 | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  3. ↑ "AmphibiaWeb - Hydromantes shastae". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  4. ↑ Bingham, Robert E.; Papenfuss, Theodore J.; Lindstrand, Len; Wake, David B. (April 4, 2018). "Phylogeography and Species Boundaries In the Hydromantes shastae Complex, With Description of Two New Species (Amphibia; Caudata; Plethodontidae)". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 161 (10): 403–427. doi:10.3099/MCZ42.1. ISSN 0027-4100.
  5. ↑ "Shasta Salamander - Hydromantes shastae". www.californiaherps.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  6. ↑ "Study: California's Shasta Salamanders More Endangered Than Once Thought". www.biologicaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  7. ↑ on 05.12.2021, David Miller. "Service Finds Salamanders Do Not Warrant Endangered Species Act Protection". www.endangeredspecieslawandpolicy.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)


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