PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



DESCRIPTION 



This small salamander is 55 to 88 mm in snout- 

 to-vent length. Adults are usually less than 125 

 mm in total length. The toes are relatively long, 

 the dorsum is jet black with irregular mid-dorsal 

 spots or blotches of metallic yellow-gold to 

 orange color, undersides are sooty, and the sides 

 and limbs are flecked with white. 



Larvae are small and usually transform at a 

 snout-to-vent length varying from 36 to 48 mm. If 

 water remains in breeding ponds through the 

 spring or early summer, larvae transform later, at 

 a larger body size. Metamorphosis may take place 

 from early May to mid-August. 



Illustrations and description appear in Russell 

 and Anderson (1956) and Stebbins (1966). 



RANGE 



Six localities known to support populations 

 o{ A. m. croceum are (from north to south): Va- 

 lencia Lagoon, Seascape Pond, Ellicott Station, 

 McClusky Slough, Bennett (Struve) Slough, and 

 Moco Cojo Slough. These sites are all near the 

 coast of Monterey Bay. The populations are cen- 

 tered in and adjacent to the breeding ponds. 



RANGE MAP 



Localities are shown on the accompanying 

 map (from Santa Cruz Long-Toed Salamander Re- 

 covery Team 1976 and Reed 1978). 



STATES/COUNTIES 



California Santa Cruz, Monterey. 



HABITAT 



This salamander occurs in rolling hills of 

 mixed grassland, coastal chaparral and oak wood- 

 land, and along coastal seascapes. Adults and 

 transformed individuals spend most of their lives 

 on land in underground retreats — in mammal 

 burrows, beneath logs and rocks, and along the 

 root systems of plants (Ruth and Tollestrup 

 1973). It frequents heavily vegetated areas, typi- 

 cally live oak woodland [Quercus agrifolia) having 

 a few madrones [Arbutus menziesii) and Douglas 



firs {Pseudostsuga menzusii). The understory 

 may include hazelnut [Corylus rostrata), coffee- 

 berry [Rhamnus californica), currant [Ribes san- 

 guineum), and California lilac [Ceanothus thyr- 

 siflorus). The ground cover and low shrubs often 

 include blackberry [Rubus sp.), poison oak [Rhus 

 diver siloba), and ferns [Polystichum munitum, 

 Pteridium aquilinum). Willow thickets [Salix sp.) 

 are used as refuges. Adults also seek shelter in 

 coastal scrub (Northern Coastal Scrub and Coastal 

 Sage Scrub), which includes coyote brush [Bac- 

 charis pilularis), coastal sagebrushes [Artemisia 

 californica, A. suksdorfii), lilac [Ceanothus sp.), 

 lupine [Lupinus variicolor), sage [Salvia sp.), cow- 

 parsnip [Heracleum lanatum), and varying ele- 

 ments of understory shrubs and ground cover 

 described above for the oak woodland commun- 

 ity. 



Aquatic plants in and adjacent to breeding 

 ponds include spike rush [Eleocharis sp.), knot- 

 weed [Polygonum sp.), and pondweed [Potamoge- 

 ton sp.). Cattail [Typha sp.) occurs at the Valen- 

 cia site; the adjacent freeway drainage channel 

 was planted with kikyu grass [Pennisetum clan- 

 destinum). Emergent and submergent vegetation 

 is apparently necessary for egg-laying sites, cover, 

 and food. 



This salamander breeds principally in shallow, 

 ephemeral ponds with vegetation present. A vital 

 factor to transformed salamanders is the availa- 

 bility of relatively dense vegetative cover adjacent 

 to or within migrating distance (presumably less 

 than 0.5 km) from the breeding pond (SCLTSRT 

 1976). 



FOOD AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR 



Arthropods and isopods are the most impor- 

 tant prey for adults throughout the year, and es- 

 pecially in the drier months (Anderson 1968). 

 In wetter seasons, the adults take more beetles, 

 centipedes, earthworms, and spiders. Small larvae 

 feed mainly on planktonic invertebrates (clado- 

 cerans and copepods); larger larvae principally 

 forage on small-sized prey such as cladocerans, 

 copepods, ostracods, and chironomid larvae, also 

 occasionally taking larger aquatic insects, snails, 

 earthworms, and tadpoles (Anderson 1968). 



SHELTER REQUIREMENTS 



Adults apparently depend on densely vege- 



