Black-bellied slender salamander

Black-bellied slender salamander
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Family:	Plethodontidae
Genus:	Batrachoseps
Species:	B. nigriventris
Binomial name
Batrachoseps nigriventris Cope, 1869

The black-bellied slender salamander (Batrachoseps nigriventris) is a small species of salamander that is endemic to California.

Distribution[]

This salamander prefers California chaparral and woodlands habitats of Coast live oak - Quercus agrifolia and California sycamore - Platanus racemosa.

Description[]

The black-bellied slender salamander is about 3.1 to 4.3 cm long. It has a worm-like body, a small head and small limbs, and a long cylindrical tail, often twice the length of its body.

The black-bellied slender salamander can have a black, tan, reddish, brown or beige dorsum often with a contrasting broad mid-dorsal stripe of similar colors. It has a purplish or black venter with fine light speckling over the entire surface.

This species will coil its body and tail when handled; it is fragile and easily injured. Batrachoseps nigriventis looks similar to the related species Batrachoseps pacificus and Batrachoseps gabrieli.

References[]

• Hammerson (2004). "Batrachoseps nigriventris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004. Retrieved 12 May 2006.old-form url Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is of least concern
• This article is based on a description from "A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Coastal Southern California", Robert N. Fisher and Ted J. Case, USGS, http://www.werc.usgs.gov/fieldguide/index.htm.