Some B. attenuatus from a recent CA trip

[mike]

Hi Folks,

I thought some of you would enjoy some photos of Batrachoseps attenuatus from Napa County, CA. The photos
were taken last week.

A few individuals showing color pattern variation:

A little stub-tailed individual:

Belly of a potential B. attenuatus predator, the sharp-tailed snake (Contia tenuis):

Habitat shots:

Also, a large chunk of this site burned in the fall of 2005. At that time of year, it is very dry in Napa Co. By late feb/ early march, many plants were already springing back. More interesting for salamander enthusiasts, B. attenuatus were abundant under rocks in the burned areas.

Hope you all enjoy,

Mike

 

[francesco]

Hi Mike
That's interesting!
Do you think the salamanders have recolonised the area that caught fire last year or do you reckon they might have managed to survive the fire perhaps by hiding under logs?

 

[alex]

It wouldn't be a long shot to say they survived the fire. I forget what I was watching, but they talked a lot about how lots of animals just burrow slightly underground, and because fire doesn't burn down, they survive. Alex.

 

[christian]

Amazing animals!!

 

[mike]

Hi Francesco,

At that time of year it is very dry there, and Batracoseps are generally pretty deep underground, so I suspect that is why they don't appear to have been strongly affected. Additionally, Batracoseps appear to generally only move a few meters over their lifetime, so it is unlikely they were able to quickly move into the large area that was burned.

Glad you enjoyed the photos!

Mike