''Batrachoseps'' is a genus of lungless salamanders (plethodontids) often called slender

salamander Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

s. 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. 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 species in the genus ''Batrachoseps'' have no nucleus, which is a trait that is known to occur only in mammals and certain species of antarctic fish.

Distribution

''Batrachoseps'' range from

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

(USA) to northern

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

(Mexico). Slender salamanders in California tolerate a diverse variety of environments, as long as their basic needs are met.

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. Batrachoseps gavilanensis - Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamander 01

Batrachoseps gavilanensis - Gabilan Mountains Slender Salamander 01

Intrinsic Phylogeny

Intrinsic phylogeny tree of genus ''Batrachoseps''.

References

External links

* Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...