Santa Cruz Black Salamander
Aneides flavipunctatus niger
-
- A. f. niger – Santa Clara Co, CA – photo by Gary Nafis
-
- Map by Steve Bledsoe, SWCHR
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Aneides f. niger occurs in California only in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
LEGAL STATUS: Aneides f. niger is protected in California as a Species of Special Concern.
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aneides flavipunctatus niger (Myers and Maslin, 1948)
Genus: Aneides, Greek – an = lacking + eidos = form or shape — Jaeger – Greek – aneidos, = “shapeless” – Baird spelled it “Anaides.”
Species: flavipunctatus, Latin = flavi = yellow + punctatus = spotted — ref. conspicuous white or yellow iridophores on dark background
Subspecies: niger, Latin = black — ref. adult color “shiny black without…spots”
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006
Ref. E. Jaeger 1962