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California Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps attenuatus
The California Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps attenuatus) is an exceptionally slender, worm-like salamander native to the western United States, featuring tiny limbs and high tolerance to seasonal dry spells.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Plethodontidae
Genus:Batrachoseps
Species:Batrachoseps attenuatus
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Water Temperature
10 - 18 °C
pH Value
6.5 - 7.5
Environment
Freshwater / Semi-aquatic
Humidity
80 - 90 %
Day temperature
14 - 20 °C
Night temperature
10 - 14 °C
Ambient temperature
14 - 20 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the coastal redwood forests, shaded woodlands, and grasslands of California and southwestern Oregon. This terrestrial species lives hidden in deep, moist leaf litter, under rotting logs, and in soil crevices, retreating deep underground during hot, dry summer months.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae). It features an extremely elongated, worm-like body (7-14 cm) with disproportionately tiny legs. The legs have only four toes, which is an adaptation for crawling through narrow insect tunnels and soil fissures.
Behavior and Habits: Terrestrial and secretive. They spend most of their time buried in soil or hidden under cover. During the summer dry season, they enter estivation, coiling into a tight spiral to reduce moisture loss. They emerge to forage at night during cool, rainy winter and spring months, moving by crawling and occasional snake-like lateral waves.
Morphology: Females are generally slightly larger, longer, and heavier when carrying eggs. Males are slightly smaller and more slender.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a horizontal terrarium (minimum 45x45x30 cm) simulating a damp forest floor. Provide a deep (10-15 cm) digging substrate composed of organic forest soil and peat, covered with a thick layer of damp leaf litter and cork bark pieces. Do not provide a water bowl, as they cannot swim and can easily drown.
Lighting and Heating: Adapted to cool climates. Maintain low temperatures between 14 and 20°C. They are highly sensitive to heat; temperatures above 24°C can cause fatal thermal stress. A cool room or basement is often required. No special lighting is needed; provide shaded, low-intensity ambient light.
Humidity and Hydration: Require high humidity (80-90%) with excellent ventilation to prevent stagnant, warm air which fosters fatal bacterial and fungal infections. Mist the enclosure daily with clean, declorinated or reverse osmosis water to keep the leaf litter and lower substrate layers damp.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly carnivorous micro-predators. Feed on very small live prey such as springtails (collembola), flightless fruit flies (Drosophila), dwarf isopods, and micro-worms. Supplement food once a week with a quality calcium and vitamin powder.
Compatibility: Docile and non-aggressive. They can be housed in small groups of their own species if ample hiding spots are available. Never mix them with larger salamanders or other species that could prey on them.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly vulnerable to heat stress and dehydration. They are fragile and may autotomize (shed) their tails or suffer fatal stress if handled. Avoid handling; if necessary, use wet, powder-free gloves. Prone to bacterial skin infections if kept in unhygienic conditions.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the coastal redwood forests, shaded woodlands, and grasslands of California and southwestern Oregon. This terrestrial species lives hidden in deep, moist leaf litter, under rotting logs, and in soil crevices, retreating deep underground during hot, dry summer months.
Origin
North America
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 14 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 14 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 14 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
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Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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