Tehachapi slender salamander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tehachapi slender salamander |
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The Tehachapi slender salamander is a special type of salamander. Its scientific name is Batrachoseps stebbinsi. It's one of the bigger salamanders in its group. This salamander only lives in California, specifically in Kern County. This means it's an endemic animal, found nowhere else in the world!
Where It Lives
The Tehachapi slender salamander is a close relative of the Kern Canyon slender salamander. It is a threatened species in California. This means its numbers are low and it needs protection.
You can only find this salamander in a few specific places. These are isolated areas in the Piute and Tehachapi Mountains. These mountains are part of the Transverse Ranges in Southern California. A lot of the land where these salamanders live belongs to Tejon Ranch.
What It Looks Like
This salamander is dark brown. It has shiny speckles that look like glitter. These speckles are coppery red and silver. The salamander is about 3 inches long.
Like other plethodontid salamanders, it does not have lungs. It breathes through its skin instead. Because of this, its skin must stay wet. It lives in damp places like under leaf litter. It comes out when it is humid or raining.
Protecting This Salamander
The Tehachapi slender salamander is listed as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN Red List. This means it faces a high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. People are working to protect its habitat. This helps ensure these unique salamanders can survive.
