Description
Batrachoseps bramei is a small, slender salamander with relatively long limbs. Snout-vent length of males is 31.9-36.7mm, and 31.7-39.3mm for females. The head is flattened and broad. The eyes stick out past the jaw line when viewed form below. The nostrils are small and protrude only slightly. The vomerine teeth are arranged in patches. No hedonic gland is found in males. Between the limbs, there are 17-18 costal grooves. The fingers and toes of B. bramei are well formed, with relative length (descending) of 3, 2, 4, 1. The first digit is very reduced. Webbing of the digits is seen in some individuals. The tail tapers and is about the same length as the body, with no constriction at the base (Jockusch et al. 2012).

B. bramei can be distinguished from other members of the B. nigriventis group by its robust appearance (more robust than B. simatus, less robust than B. stebbinsi), small size, broad head, long limbs, and relatively large hands and feet (Jockusch et al. 2012).

Coloration: The base coloration of the dorsum in B. bramei is slate black or brown black. The ventral surfaces are uniformly black. The iris is gray. Guanophores on the dorsum and on the lateral surfaces result in a metallic silver or brassy appearance (Jockusch et al. 2012).

Variation: There are differences between the sexes in terms of size and number of teeth (with females generally being larger and having more teeth). Males have enlarged premaxillary teeth relative to their maxillaries.

Males from more southern populations are larger than those from northern populations. Chest width is narrower in individuals from the Cannel Creek area than in individuals from the type locality. Less webbing is present in specimens from Wofford Heights.

Color in B. bramei varies significantly both within populations and across its range. Some individuals may have gold or copper colored patches over their shoulders, distinct from their dorsolateral stripes. Individuals in the northern parts of the range generally have dull dorsal coloration, but bold red or metallic coloration can be seen in individuals near Cannell Creek (Jockusch et al. 2012).

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: United States

U.S. state distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: California

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

B. bramei is only known from the Upper Kern River Canyon, and the west side of Lake Isabella. Its range spans about 30 km north to south, within an elevational range of 860-1280 meters above sea level. The southernmost part of the range is Wofford Heights, and the range extends north to at least 1 km north of where South Falls Creek and Kern River meet. B. bramei has not been found sympatric with any other Batrachoseps species.

B. bramei are often found beneath rocks, logs, leaf litter, or other cover in a chaparral plant community. They are often associated with talus at the base of slopes (Jockusch et al. 2012).

Trends and Threats
B. bramei inhabits plant communities which experience periodic fires. Suppression of these fires using heavy equipment could degrade B. bramei habitat. Additionally, the close proximity of some populations to Mountain Highway 99 means that roadwork has the potential to affect their habitat. Unlike B. simatus, which has become less common and is a Threatened Species, B. bramei is relatively abundant throughout its range. The majority of known populations are located on public lands administered by Sequoia National Forest (Jockusch et al. 2012).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Disturbance or death from vehicular traffic

Comments
The species authorities are Elizabeth L. Jockusch, I�igo Mart�nez-Solano, Robert W. Hansen, and David B. Wake.

B. bramei is named for Arden H. Brame, Jr., who was the first (along with Keith Murray) to recognize Kern River Canyon Batrachoseps as morphologically distinct from other Slender Salamanders in California (Jockusch et al. 2012).

Brame and Murray (1968) labelled B. bramei specimens "B. simatus," but noted their distinct morphology.

References

Jockusch, E.L., Martínez-Solano, I., Hansen, R.W., Wake, D.B. (2012). ''Morphological and molecular diversification of slender salamanders (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Batrachoseps) in the southern Sierra Nevada of California with descriptions of two new species.'' Zootaxa, 3190, 1-30.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2012 Batrachoseps bramei: Fairview Slender Salamander <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/7771> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 21, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 21 Nov 2024.

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